First Comes the Night
by syonyxie
Summary: A continuation of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens Dark!Rey, Jedi!Finn, & Eventual Reylo
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars Episode VIII**

 **First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 1**

Luke thought it would be a more welcome sight, seeing another human being stand before him after 6 years in isolation. But the troubled furrow of his brow spoke otherwise as he stared at the lightsaber the girl held out to him.

He had known he would see it again, and he knew this girl would accompany it. He'd had a vision. The past and future had melded into one tumultuous entity, the images he saw making his skin crawl.

Luke knew who was coming for Rey, and that he couldn't protect her from him. Yoda had manifested within the temple on this island and confirmed his fears. In his bitterness, Luke had told Yoda he'd turn the girl away and refuse to teach her anything. That it was best to prevent any attachment. If the future he saw was the will of the Force, why bring the girl to him at all?

Luke resisted Yoda's wisdom, and sensing this, Yoda advised him to trust the Force to guide him, as it always had. Anger had bubbled up at that remark, since Luke's trust in the Force had failed him when everything he had worked so hard to rebuild since he became a Jedi had been destroyed. Decades of searching, gathering, and protecting knowledge was all obliterated within an hour, and all by the hands of his own apprentice. His own flesh and blood. It was a betrayal that weighed as heavily on Luke's heart now as it had so many years ago.

Yoda remained enigmatic. Although he understood what the Jedi Knight was feeling, he also knew something more. Something that could not be revealed until its time had come. Yoda faded from Luke's view, leaving the weary and agitated man with a whisper. A whisper of who she was, and that honor would compel him, even if the Force would not. A whisper that he must trust her, and when his trust was tested, that he must allow events to commence as the Force willed it.

And now, many months later, here she stood. She was a lovely girl, and younger than he'd anticipated. With warm skin and a strong jaw, reminiscent of her lineage. Her eyes, however, were not as hard as he'd expected. A wary kindness radiated from beneath her graceful brow. Her expression had turned pleading, so Luke walked forward and took the lightsaber from her grasp.

She dropped her hand, visibly shaken by the harsh greeting Luke had given her. He knew that she could sense his apprehension. He'd done nothing to hide it.

"I'm Rey," she said quietly. She lowered her eyes, as though fearful he would question her intent. She knew why she was here, and where she stood between the light side and the dark.

Luke nodded. "Come with me," he said brusquely, leading her towards the stone huts gathered in a clearing below. Rey followed him into one of the crude buildings and halted at the door. Luke pointed to a small cot on the ground. "This is yours. We've no wood to spare on this island, so you've a small lantern to keep you warm at night." She followed his gaze to a small, rusted, metal and glass contraption. She'd seen many old and decaying artifacts throughout her life, but this appeared more like garbage than the refuse she salvaged for a living.

She laid her pack and staff on the cot, and gathered the courage to hear her own voice speak once more. She wasn't frightened of Luke, but she sensed an undercurrent, an intensity, within him. A familiar sensation she'd experienced with Kylo Ren. It was fainter, but it existed just under the surface of Luke Skywalker himself. "How do I use it?" she asked.

"Force energy." He picked it up and held it between his palms. The panes began to emanate a yellow-red glow as he stared into the core of its source. It illuminated his face from below, casting both flame and shadow upon his visage. He caught her gazing at him and abruptly handed the device to her. "I can do this for you, until you've learned to charge it for yourself. Bring it with you tonight for supper. Training will begin tomorrow." He made to leave and paused. Turning back to her, he held out the lightsaber she'd just returned to him. She hesitated only a moment before taking it from his hand. "I have my own. This one is yours. At least until you've acquired the skills and materials needed to build your own." She nodded quietly and he left.

Once alone, Rey's shoulders relaxed. She'd imagined their meeting differently. She hadn't expected joy or shouts of welcome, but simply, perhaps, a bit of camaraderie? Looking down at the lightsaber and lantern in her hands, she let out a long, tension-releasing exhale. She'd wanted so badly to ask him the myriad of questions she had running through her head since she'd escaped Starkiller base. Questions she hadn't had the nerve to ask Leia about while she grieved.

Did they know who she was? Or who her parents were? Why had she seen this island in her dreams? Since she's seen the island in her mind, was Luke waiting for her on it? She also wanted, but feared, to ask him about the man in the mask. "Ben," as General Leia had called him before she'd left to find Luke. She'd seen images of Leia and Han milling about in his mind when she resisted his probe, shadowy images of people she didn't recognize, and what she now knew to be the face of Luke Skywalker.

She'd also wanted to ask about his history. Why she sensed conflict within Ben, even as he'd stood on the bridge facing his father. She'd sensed pain and fear, but she'd been caught off-guard by… was it, love? Perhaps it was a spark of hope, but the embers of it had died with the sun.

He had terrified her. That a man could murder his own father, with no true hatred in his heart, was beyond her realm of understanding. He seemed every bit a monster to her then, so why did she sense a familiarity with him while he looked back at her from across the chasm on Starkiller Base? With a sense of unease she recalled her rage and the moment she'd wanted to kill him, and shivered although the lantern had warmed the room comfortably.

Kylo laid prone on the infirmary bed, staring at the ceiling. He was on board the Supreme Leader's command ship, somewhere in uncharted space. He knew that having now proven his allegiance, he'd finally earned the last part of his training. He also knew what trials that would entail, but that wasn't what was troubling him.

He'd been foolish to underestimate the girl's power. "Rey," he knew, from what the Traitor had screamed as he ran to her side. Of course, hadn't the vision also shown her on the island with Luke? He should have known he couldn't have kept her with him then. You cannot bypass the future a Force vision shows you. The most you can hope to do is keep events in motion, hoping to sway the outcomes in your favor with the choices you make today. He grimaced, knowing his actions towards Han Solo had sullied her opinion of him. Perhaps irreparably. But then, there was that vision, and she had to have known even then what he had done. Who he is. She already knew his deepest fears.

He cursed himself, knowing he should have gotten that insufferable droid as well. But he hadn't expected her to be able to resist his mind probe. No one ever had, and she was merely a scavenger. He'd expected more from her background, since she'd expertly wielded his lightsaber in the vision. Yet, once again, Force visions can be misleading.

So now, because he'd been so blinded by the promise the Force had led him to, and his own arrogance, she was not only likely on her way to Luke at this very moment, but he'd also lost the only way he'd had of finding her- the map.

 _No,_ he thought, bolting upright in bed. _There were others in her vision. Chewie, and the traitor._ He snapped his head to the side, as though the action would erase the image of Han her memory had resurrected in his mind.

No, he could find her still. But this time, he knew, he would not fail. He had something she wouldn't, no, that she couldn't refuse. At this thought the infirmary door swung open. A'den, a master of the Knights of Ren, stepped into the room.

He walked briskly, coming to a halt next to Kylo's bedside. "Making new friends, I see."

Kylo could sense the smirk beneath his mask. "It's her. I've found her," Kylo blurted emphatically, every thought and emotion he'd been struggling with all day straining his expression. "I know it for certain. She's powerful. More powerful than we imagined. And Luke has her." Kylo went silent, except for the laboring of his breath.

At that, A'den removed his helm. Cool lines of silver streaked in sharp contrast with his jet black hair. His bright gaze narrowed as he took in the shiim's littered across the young man's body. These surface wounds were the mark of a powerful opponent, but never in the history of Force sensitives had they been bestowed by an untrained Force sensitive. Especially not against a master such as Kylo Ren. It was unheard of.

"The new Jedi. How is this possible?" A'den whispered.

"There was something… created between us."

A'den's gaze snapped to his, questioning. Kylo hesitated a moment before continuing. "Something, perhaps formed by the Force itself was established when I tried to find out who she was and retrieve the map to Skywalker. I remember something of this from a Holocron, were two Force sensitives can create a bond-"

"I know of them," A'den interrupted. "Can you sense her now? Where she is?" He was growing impatient and agitated, a reaction that Kylo had never seen in the man before. "Reach out with the Force and sense for her."

"I've already tried to, many times. She's too muted," Kylo admitted. "Whether it's by her choosing or sheer distance alone, I don't know."

Kylo could hear A'den's leather gloves squeak as the grip on his helm tightened. "I want you to keep attempting to find her location, it could be that you can't pinpoint it because you're in a weakened state. The moment you sense something, alert me at once. Speak of this… bond, to no one but me."

Kylo nodded in agreement, but added, "There is another way. There are others who've seen the map and we have spies within the Resistance that can locate them."

"Tell me who's seen it," A'den urged, his voice breaking.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own anything Star Wars affiliated, nor do I make any money from this hobby. A warm thank you to my tumblr beta's, applesith and narrativeninja! Without whom I'd still be sitting in abject misery, staring at blank pages!**

 **You can find me on tumblr for chapter updates syonyxie**

 **First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 2**

Something was wrong.

Rey was mid-performance, demonstrating with Anakin's saber what she'd done to survive Starkiller Base as Luke had requested, when she sensed his displeasure. She twirled around to face him, already mirroring the frown that worried his features.

"What did I do?" she asked, breathless and confused. He looked away from her quickly, as though caught hiding a shameful secret.

It was her first day of training and she'd sought to impress him, eager to show him the methods she'd already employed against Ben. Disappointment bent her shoulders, as it already seemed nothing she did could please Luke.

The day was overcast and cool. The breeze that drew up from the ocean ran its touch over her smoothly, but clawed madly at Luke's robes, whipping the hem away from her as though limbs flailing in terror. When he didn't respond an unease began to germinate within her. "Have I done something wrong?" she repeated.

Luke returned his gaze to her. She'd just performed a variation of Djem So and Shii-Cho, with a few elements of Juyo also interspersed within her clumsy demonstration. It wasn't possible she knew so many of their techniques by mirroring Ben's fighting style alone. More troubling to Luke was the fact his preferred fighting stance was deeply ingrained within hers. Even her flourish was reminiscent of his.

"Last night, at dinner, you said you were completely untrained." He sounded almost accusatory.

"I am, at least, I've never been formally trained. I only know what the Force gave me."

"The Force doesn't train abilities, which is the reason I've spent my life gathering as much information as I could from lost Jedi temples and archives." Luke paused. "Until all I'd gathered was destroyed," he added bitterly.

He collected himself, returning his attention to Rey. "Think back. What were you doing when you first acquired knowledge of these skills?"

Rey concentrated, thinking back to the day she'd been taken hostage. She wasn't entirely certain what had happened herself. "I don't know… I was trying to resist his mind probe to get the map to you. At first I couldn't resist, but then," she dropped off lamely, trying to pinpoint what had changed, and when. "Then I focused on him, and I wanted to push back, so I did…"

"What else?" he pressed.

"Then he left the cell and I ordered the guard to release me, and he did—"

"He _what?_ " Luke interrupted.

Rey hesitated, not knowing what she'd done wrong, or how else she was to explain what had happened. Luke's study of her had changed, as though he was no longer looking at her, but into her. She shifted on her feet, nervous and slightly afraid.

He walked to an arm's length away from her and reached out his hand. She shrunk back at the contact, not sure what to expect. Then she felt it, an unwelcome entry into her mind, and instinctually resisted.

"No," Luke commanded. "Let me see. There's no pain if you don't resist."

She hesitated before obeying him, as memory of an unpleasant, recent past washed over her. She took a deep breath and consciously relaxed her mind and body. The tiny scalpels that had begun to flick at the edges of her mind disappeared.

Luke eased into her mind, edging in slowly as she adjusted to his presence. She let down all the barriers, one by one, that she'd been building up since that day on Starkiller Base. Once he had fully entered, he soon found what he was looking for. His jaw twitched in dismay when Ben corporalized within her mind, but he kept his touches, both physical and mental, as gentle as he could upon the girl. He remained motionless for several minutes, going over their first meeting, what had occurred in the interrogation room, the final fight, and her memories of Han as he stood before Ben. The flux of emotions that had churned like an electric current from Ben through Rey as he confronted his father, and faced her in the forest, were completely unexpected.

Then he sensed it, a presence he'd once loved as his own son. Luke opened his eyes surprise and fear. He stepped back, assessing her anew. It was evident she'd felt his presence too, shock evident on her face.

 _Perhaps…_ He began, but didn't allow himself to finish the thought. "Can you still sense him?" Luke demanded hoarsely, his voice thick with repressed emotions.

'Yes," she cried, her voice rising in fear. She stepped back herself, uncertain of what to do, what to feel, and how to close him out.

"Rebuild your mental barriers. Take each memory and build a wall around it. Shut him back out." His voice was stronger, but it was clear his resolve was shaken. He watched as she closed her eyes, trying to relax herself once more. He took a deep breath and spoke again, encouraging her more softly. "Good. Put each memory from your mind and close them in."

When she opened her eyes once more she was no less agitated at what had just transpired, but he sensed relief washing over her.

"What was that?" she asked, shaken to the core.

"A Force bond," he whispered, more to himself than to her.

"What does that mean?" Rey pressed. She was afraid of this, afraid of the draw she'd felt towards him, afraid that she'd never be able to shake the monster that pursued her, and afraid of why she'd attracted its attention. _No, perhaps not a monster_ , she thought, but that made the implications of what just happened no less terrifying.

Luke took Rey by the arm and led her to a grassy patch nearby. He sat, and she followed suit, facing him. He tucked down his flailing hems, pushing them beneath his knees.

"When you first arrived I'd sensed something was off. Something different, but I wasn't certain what it was. Now, I understand-"

"You think I'm tainted with the dark side now, don't you? That I can't be helped?" Rey interrupted, as tears pooled in her eyes.

" _No_ , nothing like that," Luke stressed, "Your Force energies are tied together. You can feel what he does, and he can feel what you do, provided that you're both open to each other. I don't want you to be afraid, but this is dangerous. He can find where you are through your bond alone. You must keep your barriers up at all times."

At that, her tears fell. The barriers were easy enough, she'd kept them since she'd escaped him. Yet now she felt hopeless, forever hunted, and never again to be truly free. "Can't we stop it?"

"If one of you dies," he supplied darkly, watching her reaction intently.

She stopped crying, breathed evenly through her mouth, and considered what he'd said. _Connected_ _forever,_ she thought. _But I couldn't kill him, and he doesn't want to kill me. I know it._

"Why?" she asked, looking up into the clear blue eyes beneath his gray brow.

"You know why."

Rey imagined she was meant to feel some sort of hatred, or some fear that would compel her to the heights of emotion necessary to commit murder, but she felt neither.

"No," she said simply. She'd expected a reprimand, some fault found with her reasoning or easy decision, but she received none. Against her expectations, his gaze softened towards her.

Memories of his father had risen into the forefront of Luke's mind. He remembered feelings the conflict within Vader, and his own certainty that such a conflict was all that was needed to turn his father from darkness. That is, until Ben showed him the depths of his own ignorance- That inner conflict was the very thing that pushed his father to the dark side. He'd watched idly as his own nephew struggled with the same pain. Luke closed his eyes, ashamed.

But if Rey, hunted and frightened, could retain her humanity amid the danger? Then all was not lost. It was as though a new and unexpected dimension of the girl had just revealed itself to him. His breathing deepened, matching hers. He didn't entirely believe what he was about to say, but Obi Wan Kenobi had risen, unbidden, into his thoughts. Trusting Kenobi, and all that he stood for, Luke spoke.

"Listen to me very carefully, Rey. As long as you trust your instinct, you will do the right thing. Always listen to it. The Force is your ally, and it will never lead you astray. It lacks ambition, hate and fear. It yields no forgiveness because it lacks the lust for revenge. No matter where you find yourself, or _how_ you find yourself, you can always trust it to guide you, should you need it."

He got up and left her then, to sit with her own thoughts. But his reason to leave her was more than that. He needed to be alone to inspect his own heart. His spirit, and his life's work, had both been shattered with the birth of Kylo Ren. It had been many years since he'd felt true inner peace, but something fractured inside of him had begun humming when he'd seen, and felt, Ben through the girl. He felt the gentle hum nudging tiny shards of his soul back into place. This time, he dared to think it. _Perhaps Yoda is right, that if I cannot trust the Force, I can trust the girl._

And he did learn to trust her over the next few weeks that they spent in each other's company, as they trained basic skills and learned from each other. The day she'd felt and feared her bond with Ben seemed to have faded from her memory as well. She blossomed under the influence of his and Chewie's presence, relishing their acceptance of her as a child relishes the attentions of its mother.

Her youthful exuberance was as intoxicating as it was infectious. He'd found his own bitterness slowly fading as the weeks went on. She was as naturally warm and inviting as sunshine, and he responded just as everyone else that came into contact with her did, as moths drawn to her flame.

...

Kylo Ren was abandoned.

Upon orders from the Supreme Leader, A'den had left Kylo on a molten planet on the outer rim. It was uninhabited except for the predatory beasts that skulked in the shadows, waiting for him to perish. It had only been two days since his abandonment here, but the world was sweltering and he was soon dehydrated. Left without water, he'd wandered alone, broken, defenseless, and dying. This was the final installment of his training, and it was destroying him from the inside out.

Not even meditation could clear away the keen pain that starvation and dehydration were wreaking on his body. It couldn't shut out the devastation he'd caused, or by nature of involvement, allowed to happen. So _I am the creature she sees_ , he thought. He grimaced, a feral grin distorting his features. He'd relive it all again then. He deserved it.

In his mind, he'd killed his father hundreds of times. A soldier at war, he'd killed hundreds of people in his lifetime. But in his mind, he killed these hundreds of beings thousands of times over. _Leia_ , he thought, his mother's image rose in his mind to torment him. He'd killed her too, he knew. The day on the bridge when Kylo stole from her the _only_ man she'd ever truly loved. He tensed and kicked out, growling in anger and refusing to acknowledge the truth. He reminded himself that he was darkness, remorseless, and that he didn't care.

And yet, the pain remained. A hard little gem of light that refused to die. That he couldn't kill no matter how hard he tried. Because of this, he was going to fail before his training was complete, or die before he had the chance to be rejected. He'd suspected this from the start.

Kylo Ren laughed. A mirthless, hacking sound.

He laid his body down on the obsidian and stretched his arms wide, baring his heart for consumption or decay, whichever release came first. Now, nothing could distract him from his dark thoughts, not even the girl.

"Rey," he breathed, reaching out. But she didn't hear him. She didn't answer. It had been him the entire time. Him alone. _My vision was a lie_ , he thought bitterly. Yet, it was with the last vestiges of his tenderness that he pushed her from his heart.

"Grandfather," Kylo rasped in desperation. "Help me, please. Give me strength."

When he heard no response, received no sign that his grandfather had heard his plea, he sobbed. No tears came as he choked on the dry ash, for the suffocating heat of the planet had withered his tears days before.

The helplessness he'd always felt throve within his chest. And anger, in response, simmered in his heart. It soon boiled over into pure rage. Black and pure, and as heavy as the weight that pressed upon his ribs. The weight of death as it inched towards him. Something within him snapped. He'd reached it: The breaking point. He went cold, and in his rage he rose from the ground, a black flame.

Kylo pulled back his shoulders defiantly and sucked in the breaths that death would dare steal from him. Full of air, rage, death, and desperation, he roared into the silence. Splaying his hands wide once again, he brought them together, and his roar of rage culminated with an awesome spectacle of power.

Black lightning, punctuated by streaks of deep purple, exploded from his open fists and into the mountain of obsidian in front of him. The black electricity licked at its jagged edges, then penetrated the mountain to its core. As his roar reached its highest peak, the mountain relented, exploding into a cascade of dust.

He released his power, his lips trembling from the sheer immensity of it. With his chest still heaving from the effort to breathe, Kylo Ren looked down at his hands. The black leather of his gloves concealed the pink of his palms beneath. He shook his head. "There is no conflict." At this admission, a small light on his belt caught his eye.

A'den would be there shortly to collect him. He laughed again, only this time it was true, and loud, and full of the shards that pain and loss had detonated within him. The sound resonated around the dead planet, penetrating every valley, as deep and long as the rage he felt.

His ire had burned so fierce and for so long that he'd become accustomed to its constant presence. Yet now, Kylo Ren was a flaming pyre of it; completely consumed. He was purified within its flames and born anew.

The calm was an illusion, he knew. He was a winter cyclone, beautiful and lethal- burgeoning with immense power; held steady by the hollow at its center.

He stood within the calm center of his own emotion, blissfully free from the pain that had always ruled him. He was cool, aloof, and pure malice.

The black grit of the planet had settled into the raw gouge in his face, an ashen dagger slashing his visage. He hid it, along with the void behind his eyes, under his helm. He ignited his lightsaber, angling it before him and admiring the deep red of its fiery blade. He stood with it crackling at his side and patiently awaited his flight.

...

The Supreme Leader was extremely pleased with him. Kylo had now earned his full trust, and had been awarded substantially. Being that it was no longer necessary to track him, Kylo's loyalties no longer in question, Snoke removed his locator. He gave him free rein, such as the other Knights of Ren already enjoyed. He was free to roam where he pleased, locate any artifacts he pleased, and pursue any endeavors he pleased. So long as Kylo, and the Knights of Ren, came to the service of the Supreme Leader at his bidding, he was free to act in the interests of the First Order of his own volition.

Kylo Ren, strangely devoid of any sense of satisfaction, bowed at his master's feet and accepted this generous gift. He left the Finalizer in the care of Hux. Although Kylo felt no love for the man, he knew him capable of defending the vessel in his absence.

Kylo boarded his private craft and made his way to the secret keep of the Knights of Ren, a fortress hidden away in the unknown regions, in a location not even the Supreme Leader had knowledge of. The furious storm that roiled beneath his surface hadn't dimmed, yet he continued to feel no symptom of it. He sat motionless beneath his mask on the journey, quietly reflecting on the past few days.

 _I've waited years for this. I expected a sense of pride or relief at finally achieving this honor, and yet I feel absolutely nothing._ _If the Supreme Leader could sense my indifference, he gave no indication that it disturbed him. In fact, it seemed to have brought him great satisfaction that I had none._

He opened and closed his fists reflexively, closing his eyes beneath the dark, perpetual stare of his mask.

 _Perhaps because he knew that once I'd faced complete decimation, that I'd have no further distraction. That if fury scoured away all compassion, I'd no longer be swayed by it. And once I'd accepted my imminent death, I'd no longer fear it._

If there had once been a time when Kylo Ren had felt alive, he no longer recalled it. He felt as cold and indifferent as the void of space surrounding him on all sides.

They neared the keep, an installation created long ago by Darth Vader for his finest apprentice, A'den. And this dark apprentice guarded his palace jealously. No one, except for the Knights themselves, their pilots, and a small lifelong staff, knew of its location.

And it was here, late on the first night of his arrival that Kylo had awoken with a start. Shaken and wary at the sudden intrusion of his mind, he'd braced himself to be overtaken by a vision.

Yet, no vision came. No, something much more unexpected pervaded his senses- He could _feel_ _her_. The constant storm within him shifted, almost imperceptibly. "Rey," he whispered once again, letting her name trail off with his breath.

He focused his sight outside the window of his room, searching the galaxy for her. Twin lights, reflected from the universe itself, shone from within the depths of his eyes.

 _I'm coming for you_ , he projected into the night sky, then paused. He reflected on why he still felt compelled to find this girl. _Haven't I destroyed the hope I'd held in her discovery, along the last vestiges of compassion that she'd awakened, mere hours ago? I am beyond these frailties now._ He pushed the thoughts from his mind, deciding not to dwell on whether his compulsion to find her was based solely on accomplishing his goals or… something more. It didn't matter, as she'd shut him out once again, her presence gone as quickly as it had come. He sat in the quiet, expecting something akin to anger or disappointment to overcome him, as they always had before. It never came. Instead he was filled with intent, and on a level he'd never known before.

He rose from his bed, a flickering black flame, and left his chambers. He needed to know what advancements A'den had made in his pursuit of the girl while he was away.

Over the following weeks he began to understand that his visions hadn't been as deceitful as he'd perceived, for these weeks would prove highly productive in bringing him that much closer to obtaining his goal. One that A'den had pursued as well upon hearing of Kylo's vision. With a growing certainty he knew that their plan would succeed; that the New Jedi would not become a weapon of the Resistance, but theirs. And theirs alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 3**

Finn woke from his medically induced coma. Groggily, he peered at the fuzzy image by his side as it came slowly into focus.

"Hey, buddy!" Poe said, smiling crookedly. "You thought we'd let you nap forever on the job?"

"What?" Finn croaked. He cleared his throat as he tried to sit up.

"Whoa, take it easy, Finn. You've been out for a few days."

Finn let Poe help him sit upright as he steadied himself. Unsure where he was, or what was happening, he rubbed his face and turned to Poe in confusion. "Where am I?"

"Med-bay, at our new and improved Resistance base. Don't worry, you're perfectly safe here, assuming that you survive, anyway," Poe teased.

The crease on Finn's brow deepened. "Survive what?" Then it dawned on him. "Rey!" He grabbed Poe's shoulder in alarm. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Yes." Poe smiled again. "She went to find Luke Skywalker, thanks to you both. The General will be wanting to see you eventually, given your vast importance to the Resistance. I put in a good word for you too," he said, nudging his arm.

Finn took a moment to process all the new information. Remembering bits of the last moments that he was conscious, he began to inspect his body. Poe was already on it, handing him a portable mirror and turning Finn to angle his back towards the mirror on the wall behind him.

Finn gasped, horrified at what he saw. The middle of his back was lined with a metallic interlocking mechanism that was interspersed with tiny lights peering through at each junction. "Wha… What is that?!"

"That," Poe stated emphatically, "is your new and improved spine."

Finn's eyes widened in shock. "My _spine_?" He twisted experimentally, and upon feeling no pain, reached his hand back to feel it. The metal was cool and jagged, yet oddly smooth to the touch… and the wickedest thing he'd ever seen. A huge grin split across his face.

"There's a silver lining to everything, isn't there?" Poe asked, thinking back to his experiences with the First Order. He'd come out of his terrifying experience not only alive, but with a new and trusted friend. Poe was a firm believer in recognizing the positive, even in the most horrific situations. It was this outlook that had kept him optimistic through all the hopeless, one-sided fights against a formidable beast so large it could swallow them all whole at any moment.

This fact, however, is what kept Finn grounded in the reality of the situation. He had been chewed within the same beast's maw since birth and knew its bite was as eager as it was indiscriminate.

The grin slowly waned from Finn's lips as he thought back to how he'd acquired his 'new and improved spine.' The terror he'd felt, both for himself and for Rey, bubbled up inside of him. "Yeah… Yeah, I suppose so." He shook his head slightly, as though trying to shake the memory from his mind.

The door to the med-bay opened and a young woman wearing a pilot's suit walked in. She was pretty, with lush black hair that gleamed blue underneath the bright lights of the room.

Finn quickly grasped his sheet and pulled it up over his chest, averting his eyes and blushing.

"Sorry," she apologized, smiling shyly. She held his jacket, and hesitated before walking up to him, extending it to him awkwardly. "I've repaired your jacket for you." He took it from her gratefully, turning it over to inspect the patch. It was well done, patched from the inside so the charred edges left by Kylo Ren's lightsaber were highlighted.

"Thank you," Finn said quietly, a feeling he couldn't quite define overwhelming him.

"Of course, you're welcome." She flashed him a bright smile. "Poe asked if I could help with it, and after he told me what you did for the Resistance, there was no way I'd refuse such a small gesture of appreciation to one of our heroes."

He looked up at her, a sense of pride welling within his chest. She maintained his eye contact and he looked away shortly, embarrassed.

Poe had been watching them, quietly amused with their interactions.

He interrupted their silence. "Say, Lena, how about you join us in the mess hall for dinner tonight? We could use a good butt for our jokes."

"Only if Jess is there to punch you in the mouth, in the certain chance you'll deserve it, that is," she shot back, grinning.

"Ha, it's a deal!" Poe laughed, bowing at Finn as he made to leave. "See you at dinner, buddy." He held the door for Lena, winking at Finn as he closed the door.

Finn let out the breath he'd been holding and let his shoulders fall. Flopping back onto the med-bay cot, he relaxed and let his mind drift to Rey. _Will I ever see you again?_

…

Rey tilted her head back and rubbed her neck. Meditation wasn't so new to her, as she'd spent the vast majority of her life on Jakku within daydreams. Training wasn't as arduous as she'd expected, and she was getting bored with the lack of challenge.

After learning of her ability to pull knowledge from Ben, Luke seemed to have lost interest in teaching her lightsaber and dueling skills. This annoyed her at first, but as the weeks passed by her annoyance grew into exasperation. As her awareness of her Force sensitivity grew, so did her sense of foreboding. Her vision of the men in the rain would rise in the back of her mind, dark and menacing. She needed to learn to defend herself, and quickly.

She had the uneasy feeling that Luke knew more about her than she did, and she remembered experiencing this same uneasy sensation from Ben. _Perhaps abysmal communication skills are a family trait,_ she wondered. Unable to stand it any longer, she confronted Luke.

"Why do you only teach me meditation and emotional control? I know how to sit still and think, and I know how to control myself. I didn't survive a desert full of scavengers while scaling deteriorating starships for food by being _reckless_. What I need is to learn how to fight."

"You will," he stated, but stopped short of any explanation.

" _When_?" she stressed pointedly, eager to commence with the necessities.

"When you learn patience," he countered patiently.

Rey huffed angrily, frustrated with what she felt was a deliberate rejection of training her in the defensive ways of the Force. "You're stalling, and I think that I deserve to know why."

It did grate on him, keeping knowledge from her, because he'd seen firsthand what withholding knowledge could do to such a curious, bright young mind. One with so much promise. But he knew that the choices she made needed to be her own, and he could reveal no knowledge that might pollute her instinct and alter the course of her destiny.

Time was running out, he knew, so he focused on teaching her the basics of the light side as a counterweight against what she would soon encounter. Luke understood the importance of being intellectually and emotionally prepared for such things, but he could only distract her without explanation for so long.

He glanced sideways at her, amused by her petulance despite himself. "You want to duel, do you? Then you must hone your agility and endurance. Scale the mountainside."

Rey studied him a moment, trying to determine if his instruction was legitimate, or if this was merely another ploy to distract her. He kept his face unreadable, as he most often did. _But he already knows I'm agile and durable_ , she thought, repressing the urge to stomp her foot. She sighed resignedly, deciding it wasn't worth arguing. She enjoyed scaling walls anyway, and it was the only thing she missed about scavenging on Jakku.

She walked resolutely to the cliffside, with not the slightest change in her pace, and fell right off the edge.

Luke, in a panic, dashed to the edge and looked over, only to find the grinning young woman peering up at him sheepishly. He blew out a huge puff of air and rested his hands on his knees.

"So you do care after all, hmm?" she teased.

"That was… not funny at all. Look at what you did to an old man's heart," he rasped in mock disapproval.

She smiled again and began to scale down the mountain, as agile as a cat.

"Be back before dinner," he called down to her. A rare smile that only she could elicit from him emerged on his lips.

"I will!" she called back up as she swung to a small branch jutting from the cliff.

He was halfway back to his hut when he heard the telltale splash of Rey hitting the water. It was a daily occurrence for her now. She couldn't stay away from what she called "the greatest treasure any world could possibly possess." Water. She'd taught herself within days how to swim, and dive, and float, and summersault, and handstand, and fish on the shore, and… any other possible thing that can or could be done in water, she was intent on learning it. The most telling thing about her effect on him, he mused, was that he'd found himself wanting to teach her more than just the Force. _The next time I leave for supplies, I'm getting her a small boat_ , he decided.

Luke grasped the lantern and began to charge it into a furnace hot enough to serve as a fire for dinner when an odd feeling came over him. He paused, listening, and reached out with his senses. He could still hear Rey playing in the water below. The sky was calm and clear, the only smells on the breeze were of salt and the fish that lay waiting for the fire. Nothing seemed out of place. He pushed the feeling aside and thought on Rey **.** He'd grown fond of her quickly, and she of him **,** but he could sense there was a part of her that knew he was holding back, and that she was hurt by it.

He pushed that from his mind too, settling instead on assessing her development. She was growing up well, now that her diet had improved drastically. She was no longer eating the chemically treated food packets of Jakku for sustenance, and while the food available on Ahch-To consisted mostly of fish and vegetables from a small garden Luke kept, it was infinitely better than the fare she'd grown up on. He was satisfied with the improvements she was making, both physical and emotional.

…

Dusk was setting when he heard her footsteps behind him. She was light on her feet, no doubt proud of her progress in the water. He stifled another smile as she sat down.

He glanced over at her and noticed a look of consternation on her face. He sobered and straightened his posture, bracing himself for the conversation that he sensed was imminent. "What are you thinking of?" he asked as he scooped a plate from near the lantern and handed it to her.

"I was thinking… about Ben," she said, her voice wavering.

Luke paused, taken aback by the mention of his name. He'd felt confident that, unless absolutely necessary, not bringing him up was an unspoken agreement between them.

He picked up his plate, grabbing a handful of fish before replying. "What about him?" he asked, a bit more harshly than he intended, and shoved the fish into his mouth. He chewed slowly, ensuring he'd have time to think out his answer before he responded.

"I just want to... to understand why he is, well, who he is. He's your nephew, and Han and Leia's son, so I don't understand any of this."

He was glad for the mouthful he'd so astutely planned as a stalling tactic. He mulled over her question as he mulled over his chewing, slow and deliberate. Finishing, he decided on the truth. He laid his plate down and closed his eyes, thinking back on his nephew.

"His mother and father loved him, but they were wrapped up in their own lives much of the time. So much so that Ben felt neglected and abandoned. It only worsened when they sent him away to me. He'd never felt so unwanted. I did my best for him, but I was trying to gather as much information about the Force as I could to rebuild the base of knowledge that the Empire had stolen or destroyed. This came with much responsibility on my part, and I didn't devote as much time and energy to him as he needed. I know that he always felt very much alone." Luke went quiet for a moment, opening his eyes and gazing into the flames. He continued, "I feel much of this is my fault, because Leia entrusted her son to me, not knowing how else to help him. We both sensed how much he struggled, and in failing Ben, I failed them both. And Han." Luke paused again, looking down at his hands. She glanced at them too and noticed they trembled. Embarrassed, she averted her gaze.

"Ben has always been very passionate, very idealistic, yet with a growing resentment underneath. He'd grown up with the Senate and he felt it to be useless. He didn't share his mother's blind belief that its efforts would flourish. I could sense his anger at the futile authority he felt the Senate and the Jedi represented, and also resentment towards his family, whom he felt perpetrated the Jedi way, including myself. But he'd kept it under control to the point I thought nothing of it. It wasn't until he discovered who his grandfather was," Luke said, closing his eyes and bowing his head, "that he completely lost his faith in all of us, his family. He felt betrayed beyond what was forgivable. Because by the time we came back into civilization again, people had begun to compare us both to Darth Vader. They slandered and distrusted us, and after all of his efforts to do the right thing for them, he reacted… poorly."

"So, he chose the path he felt he most related to?" Rey ventured.

"In part, but Leia believes he's been manipulated in ways she wasn't certain of until it was almost too late. When she sent him to me, it was with the knowledge that a dark force was behind the change in his behavior. That it had been a constant presence since his birth, perhaps acting as an emotional support when he felt he had none, nurturing the darker aspects of his personality. Even knowing this through Leia, I did nothing. I failed him. I failed all of them."

His eyes shone in the lantern fire, as though tears were waiting to fall to their deaths, but the sheer desolation the years had bestowed upon Luke dried them away before they existed. He went on.

"Over my lifetime I'd collected a vast amount of lost Jedi knowledge. Holocrons, which are small devices that contain star maps and the teachings of Jedi throughout the ages, and other artifacts that I intended to start a Jedi academy with someday. They were all stored and safe within an ancient Jedi temple that only Ben and I could enter." Luke sat silent for a few moments, as though collecting the strength to continue. He sighed resignedly and resumed his explanation.

"The day that Ben destroyed the temple and everything inside of it, a vision came to me. I cannot tell you what the vision entails, but I can tell you that you were in it, and this island. It's what began my search for it, so many years ago. I gave my droid the instruction to reveal my location once you'd been identified. So he could show you the way here, if you couldn't find me yourself."

"So, was it you that showed me the island? The ocean?" she whispered, fascinated.

"No, that was the Force itself. It was guiding you, but for some reason, it kept your powers latent. The only reason for that would have been for your protection. The fact that you were protected for so long, only to awake when the circumstances were ripest to bring you into contact with," he hesitated, "The First Order… is unusual." He looked at her curiously, but she didn't register it.

"Why here, on this island?" she asked.

"Because of what lies within it, and what it means to you," he answered as he stood, picking up the lantern. "Come with me."

She rose and followed behind him, understanding that something important was about to transpire, and an eagerness to experience it sparked within her core.

He scaled down a side of the mountain she hadn't explored yet, and paused at a smooth surface implanted within the jagged rock.

"Rest your hand on it and concentrate on it opening. Bring to mind the good in your intentions, and the temple will listen to you."

Apprehension crossed Rey's face. "Have you been in here before? You know what's inside it?"

"No, I needed an apprentice to enter, but there's nothing that will harm you. The temple may show you something you fear, but remember it's how you choose to react to your feelings that matter. Accept your feelings, let them exist and guide you, but always remember to think through them."

Rey shot him a quizzical look. His advice, as always, seemed ambiguous and contradictory. _How do you let emotions guide you, but think through them too?_ _I don't understand any of this!_

Luke seemed to have read her thoughts. "You'll be okay, Rey. Trust me."

That much was simple enough. She did trust him. So, following his lead, she placed her hand next to his on the smooth rock and closed her eyes, concentrating.

 _I have no intentions at all, I just want to protect myself_ , she thought, unable to hide the truth of her feelings from herself.

After a few moments when nothing happened, Luke opened his eyes and looked at her accusingly. "You're not even trying."

"I am too!" she complained, squeezing her eyes tighter and scrunching her face. "See?"

"This is not a game, Rey."

She opened her eyes. "Of course, I know that. It's just…"

He waited for her, patient.

She sighed heavily. "It's just that… I don't even want to be here. I don't want to do this."

To her surprise, Luke nodded in agreement. "And you think I do?"

She hesitated, never once having considered whether or not this was a fate that Luke had chosen for himself, or if fate itself had thrust it upon him. She had seen his negative reaction to her arrival, but she'd never allowed herself to think of what he wanted for himself, only what he could do to save her, her friends, and the galaxy. It seemed that's all the galaxy itself ever looked to Luke for, while he asked nothing from them in return. Feeling foolish, she realized he'd also never asked anything from her in return for his guidance, but she asked everything from him. "No, I'm… I'm sorry."

Rey lowered her head and put her hand back on the wall. "Let's try again."

She heard Luke shift and the minute sound of his palm sliding onto the stone, then silence. This time, she focused. _I want to help Luke,_ she thought, in all honesty. _Whether to free him from his fate or to help him achieve it, I don't know. But right now, that's all I want._

And with that, the stone slowly slid open, exposing the darkness within.

...

 **Note:** Thank you to everyone leaving reviews! I'm new to and just recently figured out how to properly add chapters, but I'm still trying to figure out how to reply to reviews! I sincerely appreciate them, and I'm so happy you're enjoying this story!


	4. Chapter 4

A warm thanks to my tumblr beta's applesith and narrativeninja, without whom I'd be shoving masses of unintelligible idea junk at you. They're both indispensable.

 **First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 4**

The General had been gracious. Finn was assigned a room of his own, while the rest of the Resistance packed six at a time into rooms half the size.

No one complained, however. The morale of the tiny Resistance had risen exponentially upon the discovery of Luke Skywalker. And that was all thanks to Finn, Rey, Han, Chewie, and little BB8.

Finn's bravery was renowned among them since he'd come from the ranks of the First Order itself, yet defecting from them to save the Resistance in its greatest hour of need. There wasn't one among them that didn't wish to call Finn their friend.

At first he'd basked in the warmth of it. He'd been raised to have loyalty towards his comrades, but compassion for them had always been ruthlessly discouraged. It was an element within Finn, however, that the First Order just couldn't quite extinguish. He refrained from admitting that he'd done it only with the safety of Rey on his mind, but it didn't matter. Rey herself was hailed as the New Jedi, one prophesized to become the champion of freedom and lead them to victory at the side of Luke Skywalker.

Shortly after Finn regained consciousness General Organa performed a beautiful ceremony for Han Solo, showing great respect for the war hero and General. Resistance pilots, one's that Han had trained personally, couldn't hold back their grief. They sobbed openly, but quietly, as Leia paid her last respects to her husband, looking beautiful and regal in her black velvet gown trimmed with white.

She had recognized Finn in the ceremony, stating how they were all heroes, and awarded him with a medal. He'd walked up to Leia at the podium, feeling as though he didn't deserve it. A wave of shame swept over him when Leia seemed to read his thoughts. She smiled sadly and placed the medal around his neck. She'd put her hand on his arm, comforting him. _How does she know?_ Finn asked himself, feeling that he could hide nothing from anyone. Even Han had seen through his façade when they'd first met.

The General found him after the ceremony, catching him before he could slip away. Nervous and afraid of what she would say, he looked down at his feet. "I know you went to that base for Rey. There's no shame in caring that much for someone. You must know that it isn't your fault that Han was lost. He wanted to go, and since the Resistance still exists, you helped him achieve his mission."

Finn looked up, searching her eyes. All he found was warmth and truth. She smiled at him. "He was a strong man, and he knew the risks when he approached our son, just as I knew the risks when _I_ asked him to."

Finn's lips parted in surprise and Leia nodded solemnly. "You understand now, don't you, that it wasn't your fault?"

"Yes, ma'am." He could see through the pain in her eyes. Leia blamed herself, and only herself. Finn disagreed, his mind snapping to the tall man in black, and without thinking, he responded to her pain.

"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known what he would do."

She smiled through her pain and embraced him. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. Yet, when she pulled back, he saw that nothing had changed. It seemed that some part of her had always known it was hopeless, but a deeper, maternal part of her had dared to believe her son would return. It was clear that she felt in trusting her instinct she'd ordered Han to his death.

He watched her walk away, her sadness still pervading his heart, when Lena walked up to him.

"Hello," she said, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Finn straightened, the sensation of his spine moving against his suit sharpening his senses. He turned his full attention to her. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." He managed a smile.

"That's good, because we may have a problem that needs our attention, and I think it's best we resolve it without alerting the Resistance. They're grieving, and the General doesn't need the stress."

Finn bent in closer to her. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Poe intercepted a transmission sent to Bastatha. Something about a small envoy of the First Order heading there. We both agree we should investigate."

She grabbed his arm and led him towards the other side of the base. "We'll explain more when we get to the hangar."

Frightened at the prospect of purposely confronting The First Order, he began to balk, but Lena paused and turned back to him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, she explained in greater detail. "It's only a spying mission, there won't be any interaction with them at all. Besides, we'll be in disguise. They won't recognize you."

A sense of unease still lingered over Finn, but he allowed himself to be led to the hangar where Poe was waiting for them. While he didn't want to appear a coward in front of Lena, his compulsion to not die was stronger. His hesitation grew as he approached Poe.

"Hey buddy, you ride with me. Put these on and I'll debrief you on the way," Poe said, handing Finn a rich maroon Coruscanti robe with a matching pantsuit. Answering Finn's questioning stare, he responded, "Wealthy Coruscantis are regulars on Bastatha. Trust me, these clothes might look too bright, but you'll fit right in."

"What kind of place is Bastatha?"

"It has Casino City. You'll love it, trust me," Poe promised, grinning at him.

A vague, internal warning tugged at the edges of Finn's mind. "Somehow I doubt that. I don't think we should be doing this without the General's consent."

"Finn, come on, she just lost her husband and attended his funeral. Besides, she sends me on covert missions without anyone else's knowledge all the time, and this one is just reconnaissance. All we'll do is mingle in the crowd with some drinks and watch what they do, and who they talk to. There's nothing to it," he said, clapping Finn's shoulder encouragingly.

Finn looked down at the gaudy robes in his hand. "I could compromise the mission. There may be someone there that recognizes me—"

"Here," Poe interrupted. "You can wear this across your face." He handed Finn a blood red silken shawl. "It was meant for Lena, but it'll ease your mind more. It won't even clash with the maroon robes. Like I said, gaudy fits in."

Just then Lena stepped out from behind a pile of storage crates, looking stunning in her red, form-fitting gown. The smile dropped from her face when she saw Poe in a state of half undress and Finn standing dumbfounded, still clutching the robes. "You guys aren't ready yet? We're going to lose sight of the envoy if it arrives before us!" she scolded.

"Sorry," Finn mumbled, turning around to change. He sighed heavily and pushed aside his thoughts, feigning the confidence exuded so naturally by both Poe and Lena.

...

The three hung back, watching from the hangar as the representatives of the First Order exited their craft and walked confidently towards the milling crowd on Bastatha. They appeared to no longer fear reprisal from the Senate, nor the crippled Resistance after the destruction of the Hosnian System. They also seemed to lack any fear of Luke Skywalker's return.

The haughty display made Finn's skin prickle with dread. He couldn't pinpoint the reason, but some instinct was compelling him to flee. He had no chance to contemplate this, however, as a moment later he was crumpled into an unconscious heap on the ground.

Poe whirled around just as a gloved hand shot out towards his face, a single gesture rendering him unconscious as well.

The intruder continued towards Lena. He raised his hand once more, gripping it into a fist and twisting.

Lena growled, gritting her teeth in pain as the snapped bones in her arm ground against each other. "You don't have to be so kriffing animated about it."

"I do if you want to maintain your cover and avoid imprisonment," Kylo Ren replied. He reached out again, focusing this time on her leg. "Enough!" she cried, reaching her hand out in protest. "Anything else that needs to be handled can be done on the destroyer, and I can handle it myself." She glanced down at Finn. "You have what you've come for, so we can go."

Kylo nodded towards the fallen forms. A few of the Knights of Ren moved to pick them up, dragging them roughly into the stealthed vessel that materialized behind them.

Beneath his mask, a muscle on Kylo Ren's jaw twitched as he followed his team on board.

...

They were all placed in separate rooms. It was necessary to facilitate the illusion they were all innocent of their own abduction.

Lena sat in her cell, unbound and carving little marks in herself as she pleased, eager to put up a convincing façade without the pain of more crushed bone.

Poe was in another cell nearby, reliving the joys he'd experienced not so long ago at the hands of the First Order's talented interrogation mechanics. They knew where to hit, and how hard, to ensure compliance without breaking their toys.

But FN-2187, the man that had so many times foiled his plans, lay bound and semi-reclined before Kylo. Only this time, he wasn't there to question the prisoner.

A'den had requested the honor, and was priming FN-2187 for interrogation. Kylo didn't mind, as he didn't particularly enjoy the process. It was merely a tool he could exploit for the good of the First Order when threats and beatings didn't have the desired effect.

"It's best not to harm him too much," Kylo warned. "She's less likely to cooperate with us at all in the event that he's deceased, permanently disabled, or held prisoner."

A'den paused, looking back at Kylo. "She knows this boy personally?"

"Yes, this is FN-2187, the traitor that met her when he was trying to get the droid back to the Resistance."

A'den finished securing Finn to the interrogation chair and stood back, considering him. "The Supreme Leader would question our loyalties if we released a member of the Resistance, let alone a traitor to the First Order."

"Yes, but not if he understands it's in the best interests of the First Order. It puts our best spy back into the midst of their headquarters, and more trusted than ever."

A'den nodded his head in agreement. "Anything short of death then, but he needn't know that." He smiled under his mask and woke the boy.

Finn jerked awake and froze in terror at the sight before him. Kylo Ren, and another man from his strange sect, stood masked and motionless in front of him.

A'den jerked his body, making Finn flinch. "What do you know of the map to Skywalker?" It was a tactic bring the very thing he wanted to the forefront of his prisoners mind. The retrieval was made much easier that way. "And the girl you know of, _Rey?_ "

Finn looked at A'den in confusion. He understood that Rey was abducted for her memory of the map, but now that he was here, what more could he want from her? Violently, another lost memory from Starkiller Base rose within Finn's mind. It was of Kylo Ren, standing wounded and feral before them in the snow. The rage and desperation that oozed from him was so palpable he could have cut it with a lightsaber, but there was something more. An undercurrent of yearning that simmered so blatantly beneath Kylo's surface that even he could feel it. In response, a fierce urge to protect Rey welled up within Finn, just as it was welling up within him now. Finn remained silent and clenched his jaw in determination.

Expecting this, A'den raised his arm and began the probe. Gently at first, so his mind wasn't injured in the process, he steadily increased Finn's exposure to the Force.

The veins in Finn's neck bulged in his efforts to resist, and he tensed every muscle in his body. He pooled all of his concentration on the memories he had plenty of: his years of Stormtrooper training. But it wasn't enough. Knowing no defense against A'den's powerful mental assault, his more recent memories started to slip through.

"There she is," A'den whispered. He shifted restlessly on his feet, refocusing and leaning more into Finn. "Now show me the map. Show me where they are."

Finn renewed his efforts, straining with all of his might and gasping in pain. A'den grit his teeth and pushed all of his strength against the pillar of Finn's mind. The interrogation room suffered for it, the chair and walls vibrating with the sheer force he exuded.

Finn growled with the strain, the pain becoming so intense he began to lose consciousness. Daggers sharpened themselves within the grooves of his mind as A'den withdrew the map from its deepest recesses. Released from his onslaught, Finn fell forward and heaved, gasping desperately for breath.

A sense of satisfaction tingled through Kylo as he witnessed the traitor's pain and failure. His breathing became harder, almost panting, and his lips curled up into a tight smile beneath his mask. As though Finn could sense this in him, he raised his head, locking his eyes onto the black void of Kylo's mask, with dark intent etched all over his face. As though feeding on the raw intensity of Finn's loathing, Kylo's smile never faltered.

A'den collected himself and opened the cell door, addressing the guards standing outside. "Prep all three for our shuttle. We'll notify you when we're prepared for flight."

A'den understood that whatever parts of the map that were warped by the passage of time in Finn's memory, Kylo would fill in through their Force bond. For the closer Kylo was to Rey, the less likely that she could prevent him from honing in on her location.

Intent on reconstructing the elusive map, they left Finn there, a broken and anguished man. _Rey_ , Finn thought hopelessly. _I'm so sorry._ He squeezed his eyes shut in despair as sobs wracked his body.

...

Poe awoke to find Finn sitting across from him, the deep dejection in his expression sharpening his senses. He groaned and struggled to push himself up against the thick rope binding his limbs.

"Where are we?" Poe rasped. A sharp pain sliced through his lip when he spoke and fresh blood pooled in his mouth. He looked down, inspecting his body. His Coruscanti robes were in tatters, but everything of importance seemed intact.

"In hyperspace somewhere. From what I can tell, our guardians aren't a normal part of the First Order. We're probably headed for either imprisonment or execution, but we'd probably be dead already if it was the latter."

"Well, at least we have that going for us, right?" Poe grinned, suppressing a wince of pain before the smile fell from his face. "Where's Lena?"

Poe followed Finn's gaze to a corner of the dark room. She was slumped against the wall between two shelves, but breathing softly.

Suddenly, Finn sat upright and listened intently. "We've arrived."

"How do you know?" Poe asked. Before Finn could respond, the door slid open and four men sauntered in. They paused, appraising the captives.

"Cabur, Mesh, that one," Kylo ordered, pointing to Lena. They picked the unconscious woman up and dragged her from the room. Kylo headed straight for Finn and ignited his saber. With a precise swipe Kylo released the bindings between his ankles. Hauling him up roughly by the arm Kylo pushed him towards the door. Poe followed close behind trailed by another Knight.

Shoved at the shoulder, Finn stumbled down the shuttle ramp and landed face first into a thatch of prairie grass. Looking up from the grass Finn saw the hazy outline of a city in the distance. Lena lay prone next to him, with Poe joining them on the ground a moment later.

A Knight drew his dagger and descended on Poe. He inhaled sharply and tensed his body, expecting his demise, but it never came. The Knight's blade tore through his bonds instead, releasing his wrists. "Not today," the Knight said, slapping his face lightly.

Finn watched the Knight move to Lena when a foot hooked under his abdomen and flipped him over. Kylo Ren towered above him, dark and imposing. He ignited his saber and held the fiery blade poised between Finn's wrists, hovering mere inches above his chest.

Finn maintained his composure as the heat of Kylo Ren's blade radiated against his flesh once more and stared into the mask of Kylo Ren.

"If you ever try to take her away from me again, I'll kill you," Kylo promised. His blade rose, slashing effortlessly through Finn's bonds.

Finn watched the Knights retreat to their shuttle, leaving them there beaten, yet alive. _What just happened?_ Finn wondered. _And why?_ They were all members of the Resistance, and he was a traitor. It was in this moment that an epiphany struck him. _It doesn't matter. I'm responsible for Rey's involvement in this, and I need to help her._ He rose to his knees and leaned over Lena just as her eyelids began to flutter. They'd need to steal a ship from the distant city and get back to the Resistance, and fast.

Where fear had once dominated every encounter with the Ren, he now felt only determination. Fear had evolved into anger, and from anger into resolve. If he was going to die, he was going to die fearless, free, and fighting.


	5. Chapter 5

**First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 5**

Rey and Luke sat motionless and facing each other in the dim light of the lantern. Her eyes searched the shadows that the lantern cast along the walls. The temple was humble, with none of the extravagant statues and ornaments she'd expected. Strange symbols marked the walls but she had no understanding of them. She wanted to ask Luke, but refrained when she noticed his eyes had closed in meditation. She followed his example, closing her eyes and measuring her breathing.

They stayed like this, their minds patient and open, until they lost track of both time and reality.

The blackness behind her eyelids brightened as a small source of light made its presence known. She opened her eyes, peering into a soft light that hovered behind Luke. "What is that?" she whispered.

Luke opened his eyes and peered around the room. "I see nothing. If something manifested that I can't see, it's for you alone. If it speaks to you, listen. If it leads you somewhere, follow it."

With that, the small light flittered to the wall behind Luke and was absorbed into the stone, illuminating the edges of a door with light. "It made a door," she breathed. Luke nodded in assent and she stood slowly, walking towards the apparition. The wall shifted as she approached, opening into another room full of light.

Rey exhaled in wonder, taking in the room. It looked as ancient as the rest of the island, its walls layered with jagged stone, but the walls glowed with their own inner light, no flame was to be seen. At the center stood a small and ornate wooden chest. It looked out of place, not matching any of the materials found on the island. When no one spoke to her or appeared, she walked to the chest and ran her fingers over its latch.

"Open it, you may," an unfamiliar voice spoke behind her. She spun around, her eyes widening at the transparent image of a small green-hued man before her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Yoda, my name is."

When he continued to stand expectantly, she went on. "I'm Rey."

"Hmmm, yes. Welcome to the first Jedi temple, young Rey. The chest. You may open it," said Yoda, nodding to the wooden box behind her.

She turned back to the box and grasped the latch. She hesitated, remembering the nightmare that had manifested itself the last time she'd encountered such an object.

"Will I have a vision?" she asked apprehensively.

"No, no. No visions. All that is seen here is real. Hmhmhmhm!"

Rey felt an urge to remind him she could see through him, but she refrained. She lifted the latch and opened the chest. Inside a small, intricate box met her eyes. It shone from within, the bright white light suffusing her face. She gazed at it, enraptured. _So beautiful,_ she thought.

"Take it, you must. And keep quiet, keep secret," Yoda urged behind her. She lifted it, bringing it closer to inspect the craftsmanship.

"I can't even tell Luke?"

"It is not for him to know. This knowledge is for you alone."

"Knowledge?" she whispered in awe.

"Hmmmm, yes. When ready! There is no time now. No time."

"What do you mean?" Rey asked, unnerved by the strange proclamation. _Can't we take as much time as we need?_ she wondered.

Yoda disregarded her question and asked his own. "Teach you well, Luke has, yes?"

Rey hesitated, her nature urging her to speak the truth- that she felt Luke did not trust her enough to teach her all she needed to know. However, a confusing mixture of self-doubt at not being worthy enough for Luke, and her sense of loyalty towards him, stopped her tongue. "Yes, he teaches me well," she replied evenly.

"Hmmmm. You fear he rejects you. That not enough in the light, are you."

She inhaled sharply at the open exposure of her true feelings, ones that she tried to hide from herself, and turned her face away in shame.

"Am I so transparent to everyone?" she asked, her voice rising. "And I know he fears me, I can see it in his eyes…" she trailed off brokenly.

"No, no. Transparent only to a few. Fear you, Luke may, but he cares for you also. Yesssssss. Let another's feelings not affect your self-worth. Even clouded with fear and anger, the ability to make good decisions, you must learn." Although she still couldn't face him, he went on. "Wrong, I was, for so long. Hmmmm. Correct my mistake, I will." At this admission Yoda lowered his head. "Rey?"

She looked back to him with unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"To feel darkness not wrong. Natural, yesssss. Hmhm! I see now to deny them is unnatural. Corrupted, these feelings become. To bring inner peace, share these feelings. Do not hide them."

Rey remained silent, absorbing every word, searching for every meaning within them. _I should tell Luke how I feel?_ she wondered.

Yoda looked up, his eyes peering past the stones that formed the temple ceiling.

"We have not much time now. Hmmmmm." He turned his gaze to the small box still glowing within Rey's hand. "Take the Holocron, and keep safe, you must. Keep hidden."

 _So it is a Holocron._ A sense of wonder bathed her senses, that she held something containing such a vast amount of knowledge within her palm. She shifted, placing it carefully within the pack she kept at her side.

Bringing her attention back to him, Yoda spoke. "Go now, you must. Remember what I have said here, young Rey." With that, Yoda vanished before her eyes.

"Hello?" she whispered.

The door she'd entered began to open once more and she stood, seeing the light from Luke's lantern beyond. He was standing, waiting for her return.

She approached him as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked gently.

Rey nodded and pressed her lips together in a sad smile.

Concern knotted his expression and she sensed an understanding radiating from him, as though he was aware of what was ruminating within her deepest thoughts. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's head back to my hut. We'll make some tea and if you feel like talking, you can. Is that okay?"

She nodded again, already feeling better, and quietly followed as he picked up the lantern and made his way towards the entrance. Night had fallen and the sound of rain rose towards them as they approached the archway, the scent of the rain and the sea intermingling. They stepped into the oppressive downpour and walked quickly back up the path towards their huts in silence. Thoughts of Yoda and his words mulled through Rey's head, distracting her. Until something stopped her in her tracks. "Luke!" she cried, panic rising in her throat.

He spun around, his gaze sharp.

"Something's wrong…" she trailed off and began to sprint towards the top of the hill.

Luke caught her as she passed him, pulling her down to the ground. It was with a growing sense of horror that he began to sense what Rey just had.

"Don't give away your position until we're ready," Luke warned, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the rain. "They can see in the dark with night vision and infrared. As soon as we emerge over that hill, we can be seen. If we haven't been already." Luke raised his hand to shield his eyes from the rain and peered into the dark sky. No movement, no sound, no sign at all that anything was amiss, except for the feeling that roiled within their hearts.

Luke lowered his head to the sodden ground near hers and locked their gaze. "Rey, listen to me. Whatever happens tonight, you can always come back from it."

 _"What?"_ she asked in confusion, "You can't come back from being dead!" Her brow furrowed tight as he grabbed for her arm, pulling her up with him as he stood. He ignited his saber as he rose above the hill's horizon with Rey following suit, their light revealing their position.

They stood with their hands pressed to their brows and peered around the mountain through the rain. Lightning flashed, exposing the shadows and their campsite beneath. Nothing stirred but the rain and the ragged sheets on the windows of their huts. A portion of the Falcon could be seen on the landing bay, still intact.

Rey looked to the sky as lightning flashed again, illuminating the dark heavens in a wild display of might, but nothing stirred there either. Except for themselves, the island seemed completely deserted.

"Rey, we need to get to the Falcon. Now!" Never once lowering their sabers, Luke and Rey began a frantic descent down the mountain, their every sense on high alert.

They'd just reached the campsite when the spacecraft hovering in front of them de-stealthed. Rey fell backwards in shock as it descended to the ground, the side hatch opening as it settled, as light and quiet as a cat.

"Rey, get to the Falcon and _go!_ " Luke roared, as a group of men matching her nightmare descended the ramp. She saw him, the man in the mask, looking straight at her as he lead the men behind him.

Every instinct in Rey's body was compelling her to flee, but she resisted it. "I'm not leaving you!" she shouted back.

Luke swiveled, levitated her, and Force pushed her as far as he could back up the path they'd just stumbled down. "Around the other side. Go!"

"Luke!" she screamed as a red lightsaber ignited in front of him. Two of the dark men rose into flight, propelled into the air by something she couldn't see. She watched in horror as they tilted effortlessly in the wind and rain, coming straight for her.

"Rey, RUN!"

She didn't hesitate. A moment later she was bolting down the path towards the temple she'd just emerged from. She could hear detonations from where Luke stood, fighting the remaining invaders. She stopped at the door and looked behind her. Seeing no one, she placed her palms on the door in supplication.

"Please," she whispered desperately. "Please let me in, Yoda! They're going to kill us." She began to cry, every tear erased in the rain. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. A man stood on the path, his ghastly visage illuminated by a bolt of lightning. His mask appeared skull-like, mocking her with imminent death.

Rey emitted a small cry and pressed her back against the wall, edging away from him. He took a step towards her, and finding her legs again, she bolted as fast as she could further down the path, heading towards the Falcon.

Rey turned a corner and pulled back in terror. Another man, one she recognized, stood before her. Stumbling on the slippery rock she fell to the ground and scampered backwards. She twisted to check behind her, seeing the masked skull emerge from around the corner. Turning back to Kylo, she caught sight of the other intruder hovering above the ocean, watching her from afar.

Panicked, she grasped at the rock face and gazed up, gauging her odds of climbing faster than they could catch her.

"There's nowhere to go," Kylo Ren intoned, his voice modulator keeping every syllable emotionless. "We've disabled the Falcon with an electromagnetic pulse."

Listening through the storm she could still hear shouts and the clashing of lightsabers from the other side of the mountain. Light, other than lightning, was spilling out around its sides. Whatever Luke was doing, it was keeping the rest of them at bay. She heard a deep scream grow louder as one of the men fighting Luke was thrown up past the mountains peak. He steadied himself mid-flight and surged back into the fray.

"We just want to talk to you," Kylo said, his palms open to show he held no weapon. He advanced on her slowly, as though approaching a wounded animal and fearing it would harm itself in its frightened attempt to flee. "You're one of us, Rey. I can feel the darkness in you. I've seen it."

"I'm _nothing_ like you," Rey bit out angrily.

"Don't fight it. You know you can't."

She'd heard enough. Rey kicked herself from the wall, throwing herself backwards and down the cliffside. Kylo leaned over the cliffside and watched as she scrambled down towards the beach.

"Should we follow her?" Cabur asked, the skull of his mask shining in the intermittent flashes of light.

Kylo considered a moment. "No, double back and prepare to remove the temple." Kylo pressed a mechanism on his belt, activating his comm. "Chaaj, _encourage_ her towards Luke. We end this tonight."

The hovering man saluted and descended towards Rey, sniping at the rock near her to manipulate her course. Kylo knelt and kicked up, Force jumping between different ledges of the mountain. He scaled it quickly, using the Force to lower him back down into the clearing where Luke and the Knights were sparring.

"Hello, uncle," Kylo purred, his mask concealing the contempt he wore beneath it.

...

"Chewie!" Rey screamed as she neared the Falcon. "Chewie!"

She heard Chewie's answering cry from the rocks above her and spotted him already ascending to the clearing where Luke and the intruders battled. Chewie noticed the man that tailed Rey, and bowcaster bolts began whizzing past him. The masked man cursed in anger and returned a suppressing fire as he lowered himself, making Rey a barrier between him and Chewie.

Chewie roared and began descending back down the mountain to protect Rey. "No, Chewie, don't! He's not shooting at me, go help Luke!" The Wookie hesitated, not wanting to leave Rey on her own. "It's okay, Chewie, please! I'll be right there!" Chewie warbled in despair and disappeared from her view behind the ledge.

She spun around to glare at the dark man behind her. He nodded and saluted at her in a gesture of thanks. "Gah!" she shouted at him, enraged.

The downpour had just begun to recede as she resumed her ascent towards Luke, his command to take the Falcon and flee completely forgotten.

...

Rey came up over the rise, spotting Luke and Chewie standing just next to a large boulder. Chewie stood with his back to the rock and alerted Luke when she appeared above the ridge. Whatever the discussion that'd been taking place between Luke and the intruders, it ceased upon her arrival.

The man shadowing her rose into the air and bolted forward to regroup with his team, landing lightly on his feet. They stood holding their weapons low, as though uncertain how else to appear unthreatening.

 _How strange,_ she thought. _They can't possibly be here to simply speak with us…_

A premonition was tugging at the edges of her consciousness and she approached warily. Luke turned to her as she neared his side, a look of abject terror in his eyes. _What did they say to him?_ she thought, her guts rising once again into her throat.

" _Rey!_ " one of the Knights shouted at her.

"Who—" Rey began. Luke grasped her arm as she turned to face the masked man, pulling her back to him sharply.

"Rey, listen to me," Luke whispered. "They'll try to persuade you, but _you must resist them._ " She'd never witnessed him so desperate and afraid before, and it horrified her. She stumbled back in alarm.

"What do you mean?" she squeaked.

"Get your hands off her!" A'den roared, stepping forward aggressively. Kylo matched each step, flourishing his sword with the promise of violence.

To Rey's surprise, Luke obeyed him, releasing her arm. She backed away from him, staring back and forth between each man as she created distance between them.

She became aware that her breathing had increased drastically, as ragged pants were tearing from her chest. Chewie mewled nervously, but the sound of him calmed her nerves as determination set her jaw. Her gaze settled on the man behind the checkered faceplate. The saber he held was unlike any she had ever seen before: The blade was pitch black and crackled with white lightning. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Te'habir be gar beskar'gam," A'den ordered as he removed his helm, his team following suit. He waited a moment for a stunned Rey to take in the sight of them. "We're your family," he said simply. They followed Rey's incredulous gaze as she looked over the faces of each man. They had warm skin and strong jaws, just like her. They radiated pride and strength, and a comforting sense of familiarity washed over her. Then her eyes fell on Ben and a shiver ran up her spine. She could see that he'd kept the gash she'd bestowed upon him in her rage. It was still healing, a gory highlight marring half of his face. She shook her head in denial and stepped back unconsciously. _No, he couldn't be…_

"But he's—"

"Kylo is a member of our Order, yes," A'den interrupted, "but myself and the men behind him _are_ your family."

"If what you say is true, then why did you leave me on Jakku? I've struggled to survive every day since I was a child," she cried, her voice breaking with emotion.

A'den prepared himself to speak, and when he did his voice was as rife with emotion as hers. "I would've never left you anywhere. You were left on Jakku by family that had you in their care and sought to protect you from harm until it passed. When they, _and your mother_ , were destroyed by the Resistance I had no way of knowing where you were... Until Kylo had a vision of you, I thought you dead-" he broke off, pained.

" _What? Destroyed by the Resistance?_ " Rey asked, dumbfounded.

"Rey, you know the Resistance would _never_ do that," Luke called to her.

A'den straightened, anger restoring his resolve. "You speak as though I don't know how terroristic the Rebel forces are. You'd dare lie to her about the murder of her own mother?" he seethed.

Luke, in the best interests of Rey, dared to risk A'den's wrath. "The entire _Kenobi_ line was thought eradicated until Rey reappeared. That is not the work of the Resistance, _and you know it."_

A'den's chest heaved and Rey sensed the Force rippling around him. "It was proven to be the Resistance, you fool."

"Fabricated 'proof' isn't proof, _Ezra_ ," Luke returned, his voice rising. "If you'd search your feelings on it, you'd know it to be true."

"That is no longer my name, and there are no feelings to search," A'den responded tightly.

"It doesn't matter what you call yourself, I know who you really are, and you're not taking Rey."

A'den's rage flared. "You think you can keep me from my own daughter, old man?" He flourished his dark saber and assumed a defensive stance. His men jumped into motion and fanned out behind him, preparing for another fight.

Luke ignited his saber and began edging his way towards Rey. She stood, tense and silent, watching the exchange.

"Luke," Rey called out quietly, her voice wavering. He paused, but didn't turn to face her. "You knew who my family was, and you didn't tell me."

Luke turned to her hesitantly, sensing the betrayal in her eyes before he saw it reflected in them.

"Rey, I couldn't tell you until you were prepared to hear the truth. Look at them, where they stand. I needed you to know you had a family in us first."

"What family would hold such a secret from me? You knew how much I needed them, but you deliberately deceived me," she cried, her voice breaking once more. "No wonder you've never trusted me. You couldn't have, not knowing who my family is." With her heart broken, she dropped Anakin's saber on the ground and began walking towards the Knights.

"Rey, _please_ , I'll explain everything to you, I swear."

She refused to acknowledge Luke, not breaking a step.

Sensing no other alternative, Luke Force pushed her to the ground. The moment she lay sprawled in the sodden grass the Knights flew into action. She heard Chewie roar as blaster fire began blazing all around her. Being assaulted from all sides, Luke lifted the Force push from her and she rose into a sitting position.

"Stop!" Rey screamed fiercely.

The Knights, and Chewie, ceased their fire but remained in their positions, ready to resume at a moment's notice.

Rey lifted her eyes to A'den. "If you hurt them I won't go with you. Even if you took me by force, I'd escape." She shifted her glare to Kylo. "You know you can't force me to stay."

Kylo slashed his saber through the air and remained silent. He met her gaze confidently and lowered his chin, deepening his stare. She averted her eyes and focused on regulating her breath, determined to prove he'd had no effect on her whatsoever.

Luke and A'den considered each other warily. Coming to a decision, A'den sheathed his saber and walked to where she sat on the ground. "As you wish, child. What harm is one old man without his 'New Jedi,' and a broken Resistance?" A'den held out his hand to her. "Now come with me."

Rey hesitated, but she already knew that she couldn't deny the yearning of her heart. During all the years she'd spent in isolation, the only thing that sustained her spirit was the small hope her family would return for her. In this moment, it didn't matter to her who or what they were. All that mattered was that they were alive, and here. It only mattered that they _wanted_ her, and always had.

She took A'den's hand and launched herself into his arms. He drew her closer in a strong embrace, pressing his cheek against the damp crown of her head. Even drenched from the rain, he smelled of starships and forests. Clean, comforting scents that sparked a recognition in the back of her mind. A memory rose, one long forgotten. It was of her father, and her as a small child. He stood in his orange jumpsuit and brown vest, the same suit she'd made a doll of to decorate her home on Jakku. He was tickling her into submission when a beautiful woman came to her rescue. _My mother_ , she remembered, and her heart burst with love and grief. Rey wept anew as she allowed her father to guide her away from Luke and Chewie. Away from everyone and everything she'd ever allowed herself to love. Away from _Finn._

An image of him came to mind, pushing away the memory of her parents. Finn's image had a life all its own. The warmth and friendship he'd brought into her life. The one person she'd ever met that had cared enough to come back for her, and to risk his own life. He was the only person to ever truly cherish and trust her. Until now.

She heard Chewie cry in despair behind her but she made no move to look back. She couldn't. "I'm sorry, Chewie," she whispered into A'den's chest. "They're my family." _And you are too,_ but she forced away the lamenting of her heart.

A'den reached around Rey in his embrace and hit a switch on his crushgaunt, activating his comm. "Tok'kad," he commanded.

At that, Cabur rose from the source of the Jedi temple and headed for their transport. A'den whirled his finger in the air and the Knights mobilized forming a protective barrier as they retreated.

Luke watched helplessly as the Knights followed Rey onto their ship, his sense of failure palpable. While Luke could hold his own against A'den and Kylo, he was no match against the entirety of the Knights of Ren, especially while attempting to subdue his own apprentice.

Kylo stood at the hatch as the ship rose into the air, watching in satisfaction as the first Jedi temple erupted, sending tons of crushed and molten rock hissing into the sea. Better still was witnessing his uncle's expression as it morphed through every dark emotion he'd ever inflicted upon him. Hate, fear, sorrow, self-doubt, self-loathing. _Good_ , Kylo thought. For the first time in a long time, Kylo felt a surge of pleasure reverberate through his body.


	6. Chapter 6

Much love to my hardworking and dedicated tumblr Beta's, Applesith, Narrative Ninja & Tehanufromearthsea!

 **First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 6**

Finn held his breath as the Ren's shuttle rose from the ground and stealthed before his eyes. A part of him had expected missiles to rain down on them where they lay, but he also knew no effort to threaten him would've been made if Kylo had wanted him dead. He let out his breath in a great puff of air and turned his attention to Lena as the low purr of the shuttle's engines faded into the distance. Looking at the state she was in, he tamped down his growing sense of urgency. _There's no way I can get to that city and warn Rey before the Knights get to her,_ he thought, as anxiety bubbled up within his gut.

He leaned towards Lena and cupped her cheek in his hand as her eyelids fluttered open, doing his best to avoid the small cuts littered over her body. Considering her broken arm as well, she seemed to have taken the biggest physical brunt of the First Orders brutality. "What?" she asked groggily.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked, concern lining his face.

She didn't respond, shifting on her back and raising a hand to her temple. Disturbed by her movement, an amulet suspended by a long golden chain tucked within her dress slipped out and onto the crisp, straw-colored grass. It was a small scrap of tanned leather pulled taut around a metal ring. It was like no leather he'd seen before, shining with a lilac iridescence that captivated him. He slid his hand down her cheek and lifted the amulet from the grass, running a finger over its strange surface. He inhaled sharply as a dulling sensation radiated up his arm. A fleeting moment of panic gripped him, but he was too fascinated by the alien sensation to remain in fear. His brow furrowed as he focused on the feeling, trying to determine what was happening.

Lena's eyes snapped open when she registered the movement of her necklace against her skin. She plucked the amulet from his grasp and tucked it back into her dress.

"It's a family heirloom," she explained as she sat up, wincing distractedly and cradling her broken arm to her side.

"Ah," Finn responded, attempting to brush memory of the odd feeling aside, and failing miserably. "Does it make you feel anything… strange?" he ventured.

She hesitated before whispering, "My family history, I... can't talk about it."

Regretting causing her discomfort, Finn averted his gaze and dropped the subject. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he stood. He assessed Poe and Lena from above, his eyes lingering on Lena's broken arm. "Can you walk okay?"

Poe moved to his knees and grasped Lena's good arm, gently pulling her up with him as he stood. "C'mon, kid. Your legs are still operational." Poe steadied her and brushed the dead grass from her hair and dress before following Finn's gaze towards the city in the distance.

Finn sighed as he scanned the horizon. The prairie was thick with tall, dead grass choking out the life and light from the green that tried to push up from beneath it. "It could be worse. We could've been dropped on Jakku. Ready to steal another ship?"

Poe stretched his back and groaned. "Nothing sounds like more fun."

"Except Casino City, right?"

Poe shot Finn a sideways glance and grinned. "Only on lucky days."

"If only it was one of those days," Finn muttered absently, as he and Poe placed supportive hands on Lena's back and propelled her forward as fast as she could go without jarring her arm.

Their advance towards the city was tediously slow, as every movement Lena made caused her great pain.

Finn paused and gently laid his hand on Lena's shoulder, stopping her. "Lena, do you think you could wait here, and we'll come and get you once we've found a craft? We'll spot you easy in that red dress."

The shock at being asked to stay behind registered on her face. "But what if you don't get here until past dark? You won't be able to see me."

"We can run the rest of the way if you wait here, so we'll make it to the city long before nightfall. It'll be faster and save you the pain of walking if we bring the shuttle to you."

She hesitated. "What if something goes wrong?"

Finn grasped her shoulders lightly and met her eyes, his true intentions firm on his every feature. "There is _no_ way I'd leave you here alone, not even pursued by a dozen ships. If we couldn't see you, we'd land and search for you no matter what. I swear it."

Something warm spread within his chest as she looked back at him, silent and wide-eyed, as though he'd just entrusted her with something precious.

Lena nodded, whispering, "I trust you."

Finn understood the level of trust it took for her to agree on what could possibly result in her abandonment. He pressed his lips to her forehead and pivoted without another word, sprinting as fast as he could towards the city.

Poe fell in quickly behind him, but not before flashing Lena a knowing wink.

…..

Lena watched as her friends vanished in the tall grass, leaving her behind. As she stood alone and quiet, absorbed by the field encompassing her on all sides, memories of Kylo Ren rose menacing and shadowy within her mind. _The way he twisted my bones with such relish,_ she thought, shuddering. She pulled out her pendant and rubbed it absently, when a premonition struck her. _It's because I'm a traitor, even if it's for the side he serves._ Her hand stilled on the amulet as the realization struck her, and an icy chill ran through her veins. She hugged herself, but the hollow act gave her no warmth.

…..

The sky was still bright as Finn and Poe breached the grassy plains and approached the outskirts of the city. Upon closer inspection, it was clear everything was of a smaller scale than it had appeared from a distance.

"I'm not sure we'll find a craft big enough to fit one of us, let alone all three of us," Poe stated as he peered around the corner of the building they hid behind. "What planet do you think we're on?"

"I'm not sure, but I've never seen so many Lurmen in one place before," Finn answered, inspecting the bipedal, fox-like creatures. "Probably somewhere on the Outer Rim, knowing the First Order. They'd want to make it as difficult as possible for us to return."

Finn's anxiousness resurfaced as he leaned around Poe and scanned what was visible of the city. There were few spacecraft on the dusty spaceport, and many of the nearby structures were made of mud bricks and dried grass from the plains. While he saw no adult Lurmen lounging outdoors, there were many younglings scurrying around in front of their homes. The prospect of escaping the planet quickly plummeted, and so did his hopes. "We need to move faster. The Ren don't have their exact location, but they'll find it fast enough with what they took from my memory. The only reason they left us alive is to manipulate Rey, so the longer it takes us to get to her before they do, the greater the chance we'll lose her… and Luke."

Even as he said this, he knew it was too late to save them. The Knights had abandoned them on this backwater planet specifically to give themselves enough time to complete their mission without any interference. He'd seen enough to discern she was too important for them to harm, but the thought of Luke rose watery and undefined in his imagination. General Leia had made it clear that if Luke were to die, the last Jedi, that all hope for the galaxy was lost. Finn slid his back down the wall and sat on the ground, staring out into the field dejectedly.

Poe slid down beside him and clapped his hand down on Finn's knee, stilling his unconscious, nervous tremor. Finn turned to Poe, every warring emotion reflected within his eyes.

"It'll be okay, buddy," Poe soothed. "We got away from them together, and you got Rey away from them too. If we need to, we'll do it all again."

Finn smiled half-heartedly. He knew the chances of finding Rey or Luke, once lost, were slim, but he didn't wish to continue the subject. Although Poe his closest friend, other than Rey, there was too much at stake to spend time expressing his feelings on the matter.

Poe understood the silent request and let him be, turning back to scan the city. "That one, right there," he whispered urgently, pointing to a craft that had just landed a few streets down the way. "It's big enough for all three of us," he said, watching as a large family of Lurmen departed the craft and made their way inside a large, mudbrick complex.

"It's still daylight so we can't really sneak up on it, but there are a few other species here. If we walk like we're supposed to be here, none of them will be any wiser." Poe rested his head against the wall. "I've never seen a ship like that before, so I hope it's not much different than a standard craft."

"But you can fly anything, remember?"

"Yes. Well, for the most part."

Finn eyed him warily.

"If the panels are in basic, we'll be fine," Poe assured, smiling as Finn's expression morphed into abject horror. "I'm just messing with you. I can pilot anything on muscle memory alone, remember?"

Poe stood, a small smile still gracing his face, and lent a hand to help Finn up. He paused at the corner and held up a hand in warning. "Remember, walk like we're meant to be here."

They left their cover with Poe leading the way at a brisk, self-assured pace.

They scanned the windows surreptitiously as they walked, but no creatures seemed especially interested in watching the dusty streets. They relaxed when the younglings playing in their yards only took mild notice of them, as though spotting humans wasn't an altogether uncommon experience.

Poe sauntered casually into the spaceport behind the large complex and stopped by the vessel, leaning his side against it and picking up his foot, as though to remove a pebble from his shoe. "Stand in front of me," he whispered to Finn.

Once Finn was in place Poe reached up and checked the latch, and the door opened without incident, but the moment they stepped inside an alarm began to wail. They slipped inside quickly and secured the latch. Finn peered from the little window as Poe leapt into the small pilot's seat and scanned the controls.

"I can do this," Poe called out loudly, more to assure himself than Finn.

"Better do it quick then, there's a group of locals headed this way," Finn yelled back. "And they look angry!" The Lurmen were numerous, with claws drawn and fangs gnashing from their long snouts as they surrounded the ship and scratched at the door. Finn backed up and into the seat just behind him, jarring him back into his senses.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Hold that latch closed, don't let them in!" Poe yelled as the engine fired up. "And hold on to something!" The craft bolted upward, knocking off the few Lurmen that had begun to crawl up the hull off a split second later.

"Woo!" Poe exclaimed, the joy of flight combined with the thrill of danger sending volts of excitement through his body. "The hard part's over!"

Finn pulled himself up behind the pilot's seat and peered into the field they'd left Lena in. "Do you see her?"

"No, not yet." Poe scanned the horizon just as intently as Finn when a few small lights lit up on the dash. Poe groaned. "They're following us, but they won't have time to catch up, and we'll lose them once we hit hyperspace," he said as he plugged in a few coordinates into the dash. "Huh, we're on Maridun... Never heard of it."

"Backwater," Finn mumbled, his attention never leaving the grassland. He pointed into the distance, where a vivid scrap of red fabric waving above the beige sea of grass caught his eye. "There!"

Poe spotted her and lowered the ship quickly, checking his dash to gauge the pursuit. "We have just enough time, pull her up quickly!" he yelled back to Finn as he stood at the lowering ramp.

The engine jets splayed the tall grass away from Lena like a flower blooming and her red dress danced around her like petals. Her face was alight with relief as Finn held his hand out to her from the door, and he thought her a thing of beauty, a fragile singularity standing upon a dry sea of death.

…..

Rey sat huddled beneath her father's arm, watching Kylo as he clung to the shuttle frame and stared down at Luke from the hatch, when the sky erupted in flame before him. They'd barely left the ground when the bomb's concussion blew the shuttle back, whipping Kylo's knee-length coat flush with his body and tearing through his hair. The fiery plume bathed the night sky in a red haze, silhouetting him in blood. He stood stoic as the madness burgeoned around him, raising his helm into the air in mock farewell to Luke as the hatch closed.

Rey snapped back into her senses and raised her head in alarm as concern for Luke and Chewie flared within her.

A'den squeezed her shoulder gently and raised his hand up to stroke her hair. "Shhh, it's okay. It's a localized blast. They're unharmed, I promise," he cajoled. His reassurances comforted her, but she struggled to relax once more.

Kylo moved away from the hatch and threw his helm next to the others lain haphazardly on the floor. He paused a moment, glancing at Rey, then retreated into the small room at the back of the shuttle without acknowledging anyone else. The Knights had already removed most of their armor as they prepared to leave the atmosphere, but they milled restlessly around the room in what appeared to be an attempt to give A'den and Rey some semblance of privacy.

"Run a systems check for tracking devices before we enter hyperspace," A'den called into the open cockpit.

"As always," a female voice replied sardonically, flipping a switch above her head.

A'den settled back and looked down at Rey, whom he found looking up at him as though she still wasn't quite convinced that he truly existed. A corner of his mouth pulled back in a smile. "It's been an exciting day, yes?"

"Yes," she breathed, her eyes still tracing every feature of his face. His smiled faded as he gazed back at her with the same awe, equally intent on taking in every facet of her face, as she was of his. "So much like your mother," he murmured, running the back of a gloved finger lightly across her cheek.

Rey smiled at his comparison to her mother, but her reverie was soon broken by a dark figure hovering nearby. She knew instinctually who it was, but she watched through the corner of her eye as Kylo sat on the bench opposite them. A spark of annoyance flared within her at the perceived intrusion. Rey could feel his eyes on her, but avoided looking at him, focusing instead on the fabric of A'den's coat.

A'den noticed her discomfort and turned to Kylo. They shared a knowing look, only for a moment, before A'den leaned forward and took the blanket Kylo had held out to Rey.

"Here, sweetheart," said A'den, attempting to stall the tension that was developing within Rey by interrupting it. He leaned her forwards and wrapped the blanket around her, tucking it down at her sides. "There, much better. We didn't plan on rain, but once we're home we'll get you warm and dry."

Shivering, Rey clasped the edges of the blanket and pulled it closer. It wouldn't dry her, but considering that she was sopping wet, it would at least keep any draft in the room from chilling her. "Home?" she asked.

"Yes, my home since before you were born. I'm not sure how you'll like the planet itself- it's cold, but the castle is warm." He rubbed his hand roughly up and down her arm a few times, jostling her small frame playfully.

 _Wonderful, a cold planet_ , she thought dejectedly. She raised her head, looking everywhere but at Kylo, and took in a few details of the ship. Everything was paneled a matte black, and it all appeared well cared for. And extremely expensive. Her eyes were trailing the paneled screens of what appeared to be star maps and related informational data when they fell on the men still milling aimlessly about the cabin. With a pang of sympathy she realized they all must be freezing as well, and she must have the only blanket on board.

"Aren't they cold too?" she asked her father quietly.

"They're used to it," he whispered back, then looked around at his men. "See that one there, at the table? He's your cousin, Rimi, but we call him Mesh. He and your mother were very close."

Rey followed her father's gaze to the man hovering above the game board. Her eyes lingered, studying him. His skin was only a few shades lighter than hers, with brown hair and golden streaks that gleamed in the light whenever he moved. He seemed to have sensed he was being watched, as he looked over at Rey once he'd rolled his turn and hooted in pleasure at the outcome. The grin on his face broadened when he noticed her eyes on him, and she couldn't help but grin back, disarmed by the sheer sincerity of it. He winked at her and turned his attention back to the game, giving them privacy once more.

"He's very handsome," she admitted, already feeling a fondness towards him.

"Hmm," A'den agreed. "He thinks so too, which is the main reason the men forged his helm into the image of a squinting bug."

She laughed under her breath and surveyed the other men covertly, hiding her searching gaze beneath her lashes. The two bulkier men were clearly brothers, both heavily scarred and wearing the same intense scowl. Another one, the sniper that had propelled her towards Luke, was handsome as well. His warm skin was accentuated by dark brown hair that curled softly around his face. The man standing at his side wore a long black cape and silvering hair, and she recognized him as the skull who'd pursued her with Kylo. And blown the first Jedi temple out of existence. He seemed to have sensed the touch of her gaze as well, for he turned his dark eyes on her and nodded slowly. She nodded back, but with an odd sensation that something more profound than a simple greeting had just passed between them.

She heard Kylo's voice rise from the din, pinpointed from among the others by his deep, resonating tone. Something primal inside her stirred, and… there was something else. It had bothered her since her father had revealed himself, alive and well, standing at Kylo's side.

"Why didn't he tell me he knew my family?"

A'den was silent for so long that she began to wonder if he'd understood her question, when he spoke, "Would you have believed him, at the time, or thought that he was trying to deceive you?"

She opened her mouth to reply, then stopped. _Would I have believed him?_ The kidnapping, the mind probe, and witnessing of him murdering Han, all came flooding back into her mind with a surge of anger and fear. She took a deep breath, struggling to keep the barriers up that she'd erected to harness her thoughts and feelings and keep him out of her awareness. However, if she was honest with herself, it felt near impossible to maintain. Kylo's mere presence alone threatened to evoke her memory and emotions, tearing her barriers down.

 _He's right, I wouldn't have trusted a word he'd said. He knew he'd either have to disarm me, or convince me that I needed to stay._

" _You need a teacher. I can show you the ways of the Force,"_ echoed throughout her mind.

"No… I wouldn't have believed him," Rey admitted reluctantly. She lifted her eyes to Kylo and found him staring at her intently. Penetratingly. She gasped in shock and averted her gaze. She focused on controlling her breathing, and eased the embarrassment from her. _He knows,_ she thought, an edge of fear tinging her inner voice. _He can sense me._

Feeling as though she could show him no weakness, she swallowed thickly and raised her eyes to him once again, resolute. His expression had softened by the time her eyes met his once again. Her brow knitted in confusion, wishing he'd act the vengeful monster that she'd imagined him to be. She'd built up so much courage to face this very moment, and the fact he wasn't angry with her was making her falter.

Unwittingly, her eyes darted to the slash she'd gifted his face. _Why didn't he heal the wounds?_ she wondered, but a small, knowing voice within her instantly replied, _because_ _he thought he deserved them._ Her breath caught at her own admission and she looked away, her courage leaving as quickly as it had come.

She turned back to her father as a sudden insecurity overcame her and clutched possessively at the edges of his coat. He wrapped his arm back around her blanket laden shoulders and tucked her into him, laying her head back on his shoulder.

They remained quiet for the duration of the trip home, huddled in each other's arms as they had when Rey was very young, and let themselves simply enjoy each other's presence.


	7. Chapter 7

**First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 7**

Kylo, A'den, and Cabur stood shoulder to shoulder in the center of the dim room. A hologram of Snoke's mangled visage manifested before them, nearly filling the raw stone wall behind him.

"Supreme Leader," A'den said, bowing his head. "We've found my daughter. She was taken from Luke before she could be indoctrinated into the Jedi way."

Snoke's eyes narrowed, assessing the new information. "A Kenobi survived," he stated, more to himself than anyone else. Snoke's gaze turned sharply from A'den to Kylo, scrutinizing him intently although all three men wore their masks.

"So, Kylo Ren, you've found the girl of your visions, have you?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Kylo stated, going silent and motionless once again.

"And we let Skywalker go," A'den interjected.

Snoke's attention snapped away from Kylo to scrutinize A'den. "What?" he raged, his face growing in size as he leaned forward in the holo. His expression contorted into a snarl. "Why was I not notified of this mission before you undertook it?"

"Because while your orders were to destroy Skywalker, you made it clear that if that couldn't be done, to do anything necessary to prevent his return and that of the New Jedi instead. I did what I thought was necessary to remove his threat while maintaining the good graces of my daughter. It was imperative that she come with us willingly," A'den stressed. "Luke is of no threat to us without his New Jedi. Not alone, with a crippled Resistance."

"Need I remind you that the Resistance has recently destroyed Starkiller Base?" Snoke growled.

"A freak occurrence. Nothing we couldn't have prevented if my team was called to the aid of the fleet in a _timely manner_ ," A'den emphasized, confident that had he been alerted to the Resistance's impending threat, they'd have quelled it.

"You couldn't have taken her and finished Skywalker then?"

"If we'd have taken her and killed her friends, she'd never trust us, nor have come with us willingly."

"And what concern is that of yours? There are other ways to shape the youth into our ways, you know this."

"There are no other ways I'd allow for my daughter," A'den bit out, regretting his loss of temper when Snoke's eyes seemed to penetrate him through the hologram. A'den corrected himself instantly. "Loyalty is much stronger when given freely, by choice. She longs for a place to belong, and that is with us. I'm certain that once she fully understands she's one of us, my daughter will fight for the First Order of her own choosing."

Snoke's eyes traveled to Kylo once more. He contemplated him a few moments in silence. "Perhaps you're right… You've found your place with us, haven't you, Kylo Ren?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Are you as confident as A'den the girl will fight for our cause?"

"I am."

A'den shifted himself forward, interjecting again. "All she requires is reeducation, to remove the Jedi teachings that Skywalker has no doubt tried to instill in her. She is still young, and will accept and adapt to the reality of the situation quickly under my guidance, just as Kylo has."

Snoke paused, contemplating A'den's words.

"I have faith in your skill, A'den. Other than Kylo Ren, you remain the only living symbol of your master, Lord Vader. Keep me informed of your progress. You may go."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," A'den said, bowing his head.

As the men turned to leave, Snoke called to Cabur, signaling him to remain.

When A'den and Kylo were gone, Snoke turned his hollow eyes onto the skull-like helm before him. "If the girl shows any signs of dissent, you will alert me at once."

"As you wish, Supreme Leader."

With that, Snoke's holo vanished, leaving the eerie gleam of Cabur's mask disembodied in the darkness.

… **..**

Rey's room was sparsely furnished, but surprisingly warm for a room made completely of stone. She wasn't sure if they'd made preparations for her, but the cobbled floor was mostly covered by lush green carpeting that extended several feet around each side of her bed. The bed itself was canopied, with thick green drapes capable of enclosing the entire bed.

She'd absorbed many details of the keep as she walked through it, following A'den as he led her to her room. She'd trailed him in silent awe at height and breadth of each raw, jutting wall and ceiling, and the smooth detailing ornamenting each floor and archway. She hadn't seen the outside of the keep as they'd approached, as she'd remained nestled near her father, but looking out the window of her chamber now, it was clear that the entirety of the keep was carved from the mountain itself. Her room mirrored the rest of the castle, from the sharp edges of the walls, to the thick, deep green drapes that hung from every window.

A cold, gray sea, awesome and turbulent spread out beneath the terrace where she stood. A huge waterfall gushed from the mountainside nearby, meeting the waves of the sea as they crashed on the rocks far beneath her. All of the windows and terraces extending down the keep were well concealed, and from a distance would look like nothing more than shadowed outcroppings on the jagged mountain face.

Rey sighed, half disappointed at the lack of color on this cold planet, and half stunned by the stark beauty of it. She looked back at the clothes piled high on her bed and rubbed her arms, comforted by the knowledge that the clothes she now wore were once owned by her mother. She'd smelled the fabric looking for the slightest hint of Sabine's fragrance, but any that may have remained was long decayed by the passage of time.

She sat on the bed and ran her fingers over the rest. They were mostly black, but soft, warm, and breathable. Better still, they were nearly all a perfect fit. _I wonder what she was like,_ Rey mused sadly, taking a small box from the nightstand and opening it. There were tiny trinkets inside, pins that appeared handpainted, and the shoulder cuff of some old uniform, decorated with bold black and white checkers, but softened at the edges with a light dusting of pink. Rey smiled, imagining it on her mother. She laid it back down and picked up a tiny portrait. It was of an infant, sleeping peacefully and cradled within a woman's arms. The woman's face was hidden, but her hair was sleek and striking, pitch black at the roots and bright teal at the tips. Rey knew instinctively that she was looking at a small memento of her and her mother, just after she was born. She bent over the picture, inspecting it for quite some time before tucking it safely into a slim pocket in her shirt.

Rey took a deep breath and stood, clearing her mind. She pushed the pack with her Holocron underneath the pile of clothes and replaced her mother's keepsakes carefully on the nightstand, deciding that everything could wait to be put away. Her hair was nearly dry, and she was beginning to get hungry. No one had told her where to go after she was ready, or if they'd come back for her, so she gathered her courage and walked to the door.

It swung heavily on its hinges, but the door opened with little noise and she bent forward, peering cautiously around the frame. The halls seemed empty and completely silent. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the corridor. When no alarms signaled, she began to walk further into the castle, running her fingers across the barren walls as she explored the keep.

Most of the doors she'd passed were unmarked, and she didn't feel comfortable risking a peek, until she came across one with a glass window. She searched the hallways once more, and seeing no one, she peeked inside.

"Oh," she breathed, her mouth dropping in shock.

Colors, many of which she'd never seen before in her life, stole the breath from her chest. Rows of plant life, the likes of which seemed both familiar and foreign to her, lined the room. The space itself appeared open to the sky, as she could see the tops of green trees in the forest behind the mountain. She steadied her breathing and, checking once again that the halls were clear, she opened the door.

The fragrance assailed her next. The sweet, pungent scents intermingled to the point that they were nearly cloying, but she closed her eyes and inhaled hungrily, as though the room itself breathed life into her, and not the other way around.

Taking her fill of the heady scents, she opened all of her senses. A minute sound of flowing water caught her attention, and she opened her eyes slowly to gauge its source. Scanning above, she found that the area wasn't open to the air, as a huge glass pane encompassed the entire room. She wondered momentarily why such a bright room would be open to the sky if they desired to camouflage it with the mountain, but she dismissed it for the moment, bending down to resume her search for the source of the water.

Seeing nothing beneath the trays that the plants were suspended on, she rose and inspected the plants themselves, pushing their supple leaves aside. A small, fluctuating light between the soil and steel caught her eye. Small rivulets of water revolved around each tray in a constant flow. She dipped her finger into the water, enjoying its cool touch against her skin and running her eyes down the row to locate its source.

So completely entranced was she by her discovery that it wasn't until a throat was cleared loudly in the doorway that Rey whirled around in fright.

"I… I was just…" she stammered.

"It's from a small stream redirected from the waterfall," Kylo interrupted. "The waterfall is a hot spring, whose flow from within the mountain warms the walls of the castle. A small flow of it is redirected into this room and allowed to cool in the open air, so it doesn't wither the roots."

"Oh," she said, still taken off guard by his sudden appearance. "I see." Another fluctuation of light caught her eye, only this time it came from Kylo's hand. Her eyes darted to it, and she was momentarily alarmed by the lightsaber he held in his palm. Her apprehension rose when she realized how familiar it appeared.

He followed her gaze, looking down at the saber.

"Is that Luke's?" she asked tightly, not understanding how they could possibly have his lightsaber when they'd left it with him with it mere hours before.

"No, it was your grandfather's, Obi Wan," he said, looking up. "Now, it belongs to you." He stepped forward and extended it to her, his palm open like a peace offering. The act struck a chord within her, memory of Han's last moments blazed to life, and she recoiled from him.

Kylo jerked unconsciously in response to her reaction and flipped the lightsaber around, holding its hilt out to her instead.

"I mean you no harm," he said.

She shot him an incredulous look, questioning whether or not he truly didn't understand the nature of her revulsion. "I know that," she responded harshly, wrenching the saber from his grasp. She stood rigidly, expecting him to leave.

Kylo shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "We should talk about this."

"I have nothing to say," she responded briskly.

"You know I didn't want- you could sense that, I know you did. It's what I had to do, else it would have called my loyalty into q—"

"You'd murder your own father out of loyalty? To the First Order?" she scoffed.

Kylo bristled at the implications behind her words. "Yes, the very establishment your father works for, and has for _decades_ ," he stressed emphatically, his lips trembling. "Some things… You may not understand what happened between myself and Han Solo right now, _but you will soon enough_."

Rey went silent, stunned by his ominous revelation. And there was something more. Another light, fluctuating and dim, met her senses once more.

Kylo tensed, evidently realizing how much of himself he'd exposed, even to himself. "I shouldn't have…" he began, shaken. He swallowed thickly and took a step back, as though attempting to regain the reserve he'd just lost in front of her, or afraid he'd reveal more. He seemed to decide against attempting to explain himself, and left the room without another word.

Rey remained where he'd left her for quite some time. As her initial shock wore away, she began to ponder the true meaning behind his words. She began to understand the darker implications of joining these men of her own volition, and the fact that she now stood behind First Order lines. The reality of the situation crashed down around her as though the mountain itself were collapsing. _I stand within an establishment that compelled a man to murder his own father in pursuit of their goals... What have I done?_ she thought, terrified.

…..

Rey had only arrived back to her bedroom for a short while when a knock sounded on her door, snapping her out of her reverie. She was sitting with her back to the door, entranced by the gray sky outside her terrace window, feeling as though it stared back into her.

"Go away!" she yelled, not caring who it was.

"I have your supper," A'den's called back through the metal.

She paused a moment, deliberating. Finally, she released the clench of her jaw and shouted, "Come in!"

She waited, listening as he dragged a small side table from the other side of the bed and placed it in front of her, setting down her meal. It smelled and looked delicious, and was still hot and steaming. She jerked her head away, refusing the meal.

"I need to go back," she stated resolutely, although her voice wavered.

"Yes, I thought as much when I sent Kylo up to collect you for supper and he came back empty-handed. And judging by the look of him, you already know how to get under his skin."

"He had to kill his own father for this place-" she broke off, unable to admit what she was truly afraid of. _It's not Kylo,_ she thought. _It's what he had to do to belong here. I'm afraid I'll have to terrible things to stay with you, and I want to stay so badly._

A'den collected himself when confronted by her stricken face, but he misunderstood her feelings on the matter. "He'll never hurt you. And you'll never have to hurt me, sweetheart. We're all on the same side, and while you remain at my side, you'll never be safer."

She processed his words, understanding the darker meaning between them. It was the words he wasn't saying that made her blood run cold. "So, if I leave, you're saying I'd be at risk?"

He was quiet for a few moments, choosing his words carefully. "I'd never hurt you, and I'll never need to."

"That doesn't answer my question," she bit back instantly, feeling more and more afraid, and still needing to hear the truth. The walls were closing in on her again.

A'den pushed the small table aside and lowered himself eye-level with her, rocking on his heels. He reached forward and grasped her hands gently but firmly, within his. He'd taken his gloves off, and the warm roughness of his palms brought Rey out of her dark thoughts. She looked up, meeting his gaze.

"You are safe with me. Kylo will never hurt you, I will never hurt you, and you will never have to hurt us. Do you believe me when I tell you that?"

She searched his face, the intensity of his bright blue eyes never faltering, as though they were formed to pierce the souls of all they encountered.

"Do you trust me?"

" _Yes. It's that I don't trust myself,"_ a small voice in the back of her mind whispered.

Once again, A'den misunderstood her hesitation, misinterpreting what she couldn't say. "It's okay," he whispered. "I will earn your trust, okay? Will you stay long enough to let me do that?"

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak through her tears.

"Okay," A'den agreed, rising from the floor. "You should rest, it's been a long day."

He looked back at her from the door, seeing the silent sobs that shook her shoulders, and paused.

"By the way, Kylo told me… That room with the flowers? That belonged to your mother," A'den added before retreating from her room. He paused outside her door and placed a palm on it. With the other, he pushed a small mechanism- a silent alarm, one that would alert only him.

Inside her room, Rey lifted her eyes back to the window and let her tears fall where they might. "I know," she whispered into the silence, letting the sky take her away once more.

…

Except for Cabur, the karyai was empty when A'den returned, his men having wandered off to the privacy of their rooms. Cabur sat in the quiet main room, reclining on a dining chair with his boots propped up on the table, waiting expectantly.

Cabur raised his eyebrows. "How is she?"

"A foolish, idealistic youth, as was expected." A'den sat down heavily beside him. "We'll need to chip her."

Cabur flung his boots off the table and leaned forward, speaking quietly, "I'll forge it into her gear. We're beginning the process soon."

A'den rubbed his temples wearily and nodded. "We have no choice. If she flees, it's for her own protection. We'd need to find her first."

Cabur reclined again, pensive. "I don't think she'll try to flee, even though she doubts her choice now. She's yearned for us too long, and you sensed that as well as I did. We'll trust her first and teach her how to harness her fear. In the end she won't question why she's here, or where she belongs."


	8. Chapter 8

**First Comes the Night**

 **Chapter 8**

Steam rose from Luke's sodden robes, intertwining with tendrils of ash that swirled around him as daylight warmed the island. He sat, unblinking and pensive, upon the ruins of the temple, his bright eyes the only light amid the desolation. Nothing roused him from his waking slumber, not the Resistance fleet that soared above him, nor the familiar green face that manifested before his eyes.

If Luke noticed Yoda, he didn't register it.

"Luke," a voice spoke, barely penetrating Luke's mental haze. His mind remained blissfully blank, unconsciously protecting him from outside interference. Every particle of the universe was still. Nothing existed. Not the Force, and not even himself. He'd never felt so at peace.

Yoda pursed his lips. He understood the traumas that Luke had often endured throughout his life, but never had Yoda found him in such an unresponsive state.

"Luke," Yoda repeated, encouraged by a twitch near Luke's eye. "Hear what I have to say, you must."

Luke's eyes remained unfocused, looking straight through Yoda. "Leave me be," he murmured.

"Just beginning, your journey is. Another hope approaches as we speak."

Luke's eyes bored into Yoda's ghostly presence, finally acknowledging him. "I've had my fill of failure," Luke rasped, his nostrils flaring as despair filled him.

"We must not cease to try, even in failure. When trying dies, hope dies."

"Then hope is dead."

Yoda groaned and shook his head.

Luke stood abruptly when Yoda made to speak again, angered by the intrusion and the loss of his peace. The old turmoil raged anew within Luke, and he lashed out at the small green man. "You couldn't defeat the dark side with thousands of Jedi at your service, and yet you stand here and ask that much of me with only one by my side? After what just happened _again_? You ask the impossible," Luke seethed.

"Not impossible. You defeated the Empire alone, not so long ago."

"I wasn't alone, my father-"

"Who are you talking to?" a hesitant voice called from behind him. Luke spun around, spotting a young man just upon the rise of the rubble, looking around the area curiously.

Certain there was no one else present, Finn spoke. "My name is Finn. General Organa is waiting for you in the clearing below." He gestured down the path, encouraging Luke to follow.

When Luke made no sound, nor move to follow, Finn shifted nervously on his feet. "Where's Rey?"

Luke sensed distress welling inside the boy as he glanced around for Rey, and something else that gave him pause. Something… curious. A fleeting recognition passed across Luke's face as he gazed at Finn, a flicker of hope that softened the harshest lines of his face, only to vanish a moment later. He shook his head sharply, ridding himself of the thought. "I'm not doing this again," Luke stated flatly, seemingly into the thin air. "I refuse."

"I'm sorry, _what?"_ Finn asked, a frown creasing his brow as he stepped back. Something about this man was off. And unnerving. "You are Luke Skywalker, aren't you?"

Luke moved forward suddenly, headed towards the clearing. He brushed past Finn and muttered to himself, "Another child?"

" _Hey,_ " Finn protested as he tumbled down the hill behind Luke, "I am _not_ a child!" Eager to prove his worthiness to the great Skywalker, he halted at the bottom of the hill. "I'm here to fight," Finn called out resolutely, stilling Luke in his tracks.

Luke swung around, facing Finn. "And what are you fighting?"

Finn shifted uncomfortably. "The First Order?" he ventured.

"The First Order is a façade. What are you really fighting?"

Finn's certainty wavered, realizing he'd never given it much thought. He'd been trained to follow orders, not ask questions.

Luke reached into his robes and plucked the lightsaber Rey had dropped upon her retreat and threw it at Finn. Hard. Finn caught the saber effortlessly, his his grip strong and sure. Luke's scowl dropped as he inspected Finn more closely, realizing that the boy had had training which honed his physical prowess and reflexes. There were, however, weapons of greater magnitude than muscle. Within a galaxy fueled by the Force, mind and emotion were the deadliest weapons, and Luke needed to be certain this time.

"If there was an ancient evil behind the First Order, one _far_ more dangerous, would you face such a threat?"

Finn looked at the saber in his hand and drew a shaky breath. "I would," he responded. He was fully aware of his limitations as a human being, outmatched in comparison to the feats he'd witnessed performed by the likes of Kylo Ren, but that awareness had instilled no reservations. He would stand and fight all the same.

Luke sensed his hesitation, and challenged Finn's resolve once more. "What if the enemy can't be defeated with your weapon?"

Kylo Ren, holding a blaster bolt in midair as he terrorized an innocent village, came to the forefront of Finn's mind. His jaw tightened reflexively. He thought of the Jakku villagers, of Rey and Slip, the Hosnian system, and every other faceless innocent to have ever fallen victim to the First Order. Luke was testing him, he knew, but his determination only grew.

Finn raised his eyes to Luke, hardened by the strength of his will. "I'll fight anyway."

Luke stared so intently that Finn began to feel uncomfortable, but he didn't dare break eye contact. He watched as Luke's face morphed from an impassive stare into sheer despair on an incomprehensible level, then merge into a rage that flashed with the baring of his teeth. Then Luke's rage abated and a desperation surged through him, raising his chest in great heaves. Until finally, his breathing slowed and a practiced sort of peace was restored.

When Luke's eyes dropped, Finn released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _What just happened?_ Finn wondered. On some level, he'd just experienced the poignancy of Skywalker's emotions with him, and their range and intensity had rattled Finn to the core.

"Another," Luke breathed towards the grass at Finn's side, staring at something unseen. A shadowy plume of smoke wafted towards them from the temple, encompassing Finn and whatever else lay beside him. "So be it, then."

An eerie sensation that Luke was communing with spirits tickled at the edges of Finn's awareness.

Luke glanced back at Finn and nodded before resuming his descent towards Leia. With a feeling much different than he'd expected upon meeting Skywalker, Finn took a long, steadying breath, and followed Luke away from the smoldering ruins.

….

"Luke," Leia whispered as he neared, her lips trembling with suppressed emotion.

Once Luke wrapped her within his comforting arms, a warmth that Leia didn't allow herself to miss burgeoned within her heart. Sobs of grief, emotions that she'd never wanted anyone to witness, flooded from her regardless of her greatest efforts to quell the flow.

Luke rubbed her back, whispering words that soothed away her embarrassment, until she openly released all the years of suppressed torment and sorrow that she'd dealt with all alone.

The Resistance members toiling on the Millennium Falcon stilled, watching with quiet reverence as the scene unfolded before them.

Mewling softly, Chewie approached the twins and embraced them. They welcomed him, reaching around his shaggy coat and hugging him until their arms disappeared under his layers of fur. Chewie cried out and bent over them, shielding them from the view of the pilots as they repaired the Falcon.

Time seemed to suspend as they huddled together, broken fragments of their former selves, and too disfigured by the horrors of war to ever be made whole again.

…

The Millennium Falcon rose effortlessly into the outer atmosphere of Ahch-To, heading for the Resistance base. It purred contentedly under the capable hands of Poe and Chewie as they calculated their jump into hyperspace, having suffered far worse than a meager electromagnetic pulse in its long career.

Luke and Leia sat within the main hold, settled close to each other and resting their intertwined arms on the dejarik game board.

Finn was seated at the engineering station nearby, reexamining the possibilities of what Rey was being subjected to at that very moment.

"What do you think they'll do to her?" Finn asked, breaking the silence. "Will they kill her when she doesn't join them?"

Luke kept his eyes downcast while he answered, "What makes you so certain she won't join them?"

Finn's jaw dropped, stunned by the suggestion. He recovered quickly. "She wouldn't… You have to know that."

When Luke made no effort to comment, Finn turned to Leia imploringly.

Leia's eyes remained guarded. Rey was his best friend, one that he'd risked his own life to save. Finn believed in Rey, but then again, so had Leia. She faltered a moment when her son came to mind, but knowing Finn's pain and confusion on a level no one else really could, she spoke.

"I understand how you feel, Finn. Rey is strong and kind, but she has a sadness about her that makes her… vulnerable. I'd like to think that they wouldn't hurt her, but perhaps we don't know her as well as we thought. She chose to leave with them. If we're honest with ourselves, our desire to look for the best in people may be what's hurt us the most." The silent reference to Han's death hung heavy in the air.

Anger shot through Finn like a blaster bolt as he looked between the two of them. "You'd give up on her because Kylo is a murderer? She isn't him! Her reasons for going are completely different, hers are innocent!"

He caught himself, his breath hitching in his throat as he realized he'd broached a subject that pained Leia greatly. Shame washed over him and he lowered his eyes, dreading their response. But no reprimand came.

Finn took a deep breath and tried again, propelled by a strong desire to do anything he could to save Rey from the evil that had kidnapped and tortured them all. An evil that threatened to devour the galaxy whole.

"They took her _hours_ ago. If we try to find her now, _we can save her_ ," Finn pleaded desperately.

"It won't make any difference," said Luke cut in brusquely. "She chose to leave us, and leave _you,_ behind _._ "

Luke's statement held no malice, but Finn couldn't help but feel as though he'd been struck.

"So, we do nothing?" Finn asked, flabbergasted.

Luke caught Finn's gaze, remembering his strong determination. "No, we fight."

Finn took in a long, relieved breath. "Yes. And we'll get her out of there."

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but Leia placed her hand over Luke's, stopping him. "Let the boy hope," she whispered under her breath, too quietly for Finn to hear.

…..

Luke peered into the lush foliage of the planet as he descended the Falcon's ramp, stepping into a thick layer of mist.

"Dagobah?" Luke asked, though he already knew the answer. This planet had imprinted itself on him, and the humid smell of it alone drew up visions of his past in much the same way the sweet scent of Leia's hair roused fond memories of her warm apartment Hosnian Prime, her beloved thranta as they flew in the distance of Cloud City, and the joy that danced around her heart as a youth on the forest moon of Endor.

Leia tilted a small smile at him. "Yes. It was the only place I could think of that would shield the Force sensitives from hunter squads with its dark energy, and I assumed you'd be back with Rey as well."

Luke shook his head in agreement. Dagobah was a good choice, even without the cover of the dark cave. They'd picked an area covered with a dense fog, so the x-wings weren't visible from the sky, and it was uninhabited by sentient life forms. It had also remained undiscovered by the Empire, so they'd have no record of it on file for the First Order to stumble upon. The only thing he had to worry about, however, was his nephew's knowledge of his past here with Yoda.

"He won't mention it," Leia volunteered, sensing his thoughts.

"How can you be sure?" Luke asked.

"What are the chances he remembers the one time you told him the story as a child? Besides, if he was going to stake out this system searching for my Resistance Base, he'd have done it six years ago," she responded, gazing meaningfully at him. "He didn't."

…

"They said it could take over 2 weeks for my arm to completely heal since it's such a massive fracture, can you believe that? Over two weeks!" Lena huffed, exasperated by the med-bay's prognosis as she leaned her arm into a tub of bacta. "They said I could have my arm replaced like they did with your spine and it would be much faster, since they'd cut out the damaged flesh and replace the parts. Like offering to hack off my limbs would make the waiting for a full heal any easier to tolerate? Unbelievable!"

Finn couldn't help but smile as he watched Lena fume. Her pain was gone, they were all safe once more, and the only thing that really affected him in that moment was the smooth curve of her cheeks as she pouted. The sound of her voice when she highlighted something particularly important. And the soft glow of her tawny neck, laid bare with her hair piled on top of her head.

The room had gone completely quiet, and with a jolt he realized it was because he'd been staring. He looked down at his feet, feeling the familiar heat that she often provoked rising up from his chest to his cheeks.

"It's okay," she said quietly.

He looked up, noticing her cheeks were suffused with a blush as well. She was radiant.

Feeling bashful and embarrassed, Finn could think of nothing more to say. He stood up awkwardly and wrung his hands. "I should go, Luke asked to speak with me—"

"Luke Skywalker? They let him live?" she interrupted.

"Yes, but not out of the goodness of their hearts. They did it to manipulate Rey," he said bitterly.

Lena studied his face. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Yes, she's my best friend," he responded simply. "We both care about each other."

"After only knowing each other for such a short time?"

Something in her tone made him bristle. "Sometimes the traumas of war bring people very close, very quickly. So, yes, even a short time is enough to form a bond."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she corrected quickly, "I was only curious, of course I understand. I experienced it with you too."

Finn visibly relaxed, managing a small smile. "I should go…"

"To find Luke, I know," she finished, trying to smile back.

…

Finn jogged through the Resistance camp looking for Luke. The camp was still in the process of being built, and soon small camouflaged huts would surround the landing bays interspersed between the trees, making access to the fleet quicker and easier for the pilots. In the meantime, however, the pilots and officers alike slept on cots in the open air. Gray and green netting covered everything on ground too high for the fog to obscure, and it was in this mist that concealed the x-wings where Finn discovered Luke, kneeling next to a small astromech droid.

He rose as Finn approached. "You'll need to pack a bag, we'll be leaving the base for some time."

Finn looked down at Poe's jacket, his standard issue black Stormtrooper clothing, and touched the lightsaber in his pocket. "This is all I own… Where are we going?"

"To the other side of this planet. On that," said Luke, nodding towards the Falcon.

"Why?"

"To learn to fight."

Finn glanced at the x-wing beside him then back at Luke. "In the Falcon?"

"It has crew quarters. We'll need a place to sleep."

"Shouldn't I be learning how to pilot on x-wing instead?" he asked, placing his hand on the bird beside him. He didn't try to hide his mistrust in the Falcon's combat worthiness.

Luke smiled and placed his hand next to Finn's on the x-wing, remembering the exhilaration he'd felt when, in his youth, he'd destroyed the Death Star piloting a ship just like this. Looking at their hands on the ship, a dark memory resurfaced, eclipsing the joy of his youth. The smile dropped from his lips as the image of Rey appeared, standing with him at the first Jedi temple, their hands resting upon the temple door in much the same fashion.

"No," Luke whispered harshly, dropping his hand from the ship as though it had scorched him.

Finn dropped his hand and turned to Luke quizzically.

Luke sat abruptly, obscuring himself within the mist of the sunken bay. Finn stepped back, caught off-guard by Luke's uncharacteristic action.

"Sit down," instructed Luke, his disembodied voice rising from the fog.

Finn glanced around surreptitiously, hesitant and uncertain of Luke's motives.

"You want to fight? Sit down."

Finn sat reluctantly, searching for Luke although he could barely identify his outline the shifting mist. "I'm not sure how this helps-"

"Now close your eyes and try to see me."

"How do you expect me to see with my eyes closed _?_ " Finn asked.

"With your senses. Reach out with your feelings," Luke answered evenly. "First, concentrate on yourself. Your breath. Your blood. Sense it as it flows through your veins."

Without truly understanding what he was meant to do, Finn closed his eyes and began to focus on the rise and fall of his chest, the sound of the air and the smell of the swampy petrified forest as they passed through his nostrils. Until, at some point during this exercise, his awareness shifted, morphing him into a different plane. The sounds of the Resistance as they milled around the camp muted, and he slowly became more and more aware of each molecule of air as it passed through him. Each speck of energy as it swirled, and sparked, and died within his bloodstream.

"Good. Now reach out further. Find me," a disembodied voice spoke through his haze. Entranced, Finn followed the instruction and pressed out further, effortlessly.

He found Luke. Could see him without eyes, and could feel him without touch. Finn's lips parted in wonder, never before having experienced such a sensation. _Or haven't I?_ a small voice reminded behind his thoughts. Perhaps, but _I've only ever scratched the surface._ Visions of his first battle on Jakku and the Hosnian system rose, smoky and distorted, within his mind. The sensation- the feeling, was so familiar... He opened his eyes and found himself gasping for breath, as though a babe just entering the universe.

Luke's ghostly profile waited quietly in the mist.

"I'm like you," Finn whispered hoarsely, awestruck. The electricity of his awakening still reverberated through him like peels of lightning, every forked tendril licking every fiber of his being.


End file.
